Politics Of Terror: And Then Afzal Guru Was Hanged!

In another masterful and top secret operation, the second in three months, the Government of India executed the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Afzal Guru in the national capital’s Tihar Jail at 8 am yesterday.  Justice was delivered after long eleven years. On the fateful day of 13^thDecember 2001 a stunning attack was carried out on the Indian Parliament in session and within 48 hours of the attack Afzal Guru was hauled up by the police. He was held responsible for plotting and planning this daring attack right on India’s sovereignty. Afzal Guru was sentenced to death and the Supreme Court of India confirmed it in 2005. Guru’s wife appealed for clemency with the President of India and the death penalty had been pending since then. The terrorist had been lodged in a high security isolated cell in Tihar Jail since 2001 and yesterday, the 9^th of February 2013, he was hanged just a few meters away. The jail authorities informed about his burial inside the jail premises later.

Why the great delay? Politics? Yes, say the opposition political leaders in view of the 2014 General Elections and the alleged non-performance of the coalition government. The Government of India said it was done in due process of law and any politicization of the issue would be unfortunate. At the same time Congress leaders in Maharashtra reportedly introspected on the possibility of early elections. The main opposition party BJP had to welcome the execution, but said the delay was immensely political. The BJP had been using the delay in Afzal Guru Execution issue as a major political plank and while questioned on its possible loss now of an election campaign for 2014 the party countered by saying that the Government had to do it thanks to the BJP’s intense public opinion drive. Politics of words and of taking credit?

The BJP also alleged that the execution was carried out just to balance the repercussions caused by the statement made by the Indian Home Minister on right-wing terrorism recently.  This brings us deeper into the Indian terror politicking scenario.

In this country terrorists are known more for their statehood or religion or any related parameter and less for the cowardly acts they commit to annihilate innocents. Terror gets classified as per such parameters and every class is blatantly and stoutly defended by its loyal supporters. The Kashmir valley had been put under indefinite curfew and stray incidents of violence were reported since yesterday. Why? Because terrorist Afzal Guru was a Kashmiri and his state and religious supporters including his family considered him innocent. Just the same way fiendish terrorists belonging to other state or religion garner blind support for themselves. Parameters stretching up to language, castes and colors continue to be the cross currents of the Indian politicking that often causes interference, hindrance and intolerance. Politics of diversity?

To take this murky point a little further people always against the death penalty expressed the sentiments that no person should be hanged in a civilized society. Now, they consider the society ‘civilized’ only when brutal terrorists or criminals or rapists face capital punishment, and not when innocents get killed, murdered and raped anytime day or night, anywhere and almost every day. Politics of ‘human’ rights? Anyway, as we have said earlier, ours not to reason why…!

Politics or not, a terrorist gets his deserving punishment that at least makes the kin of the victims happy. A strong message also goes out for terrorists, criminals and rapists. Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru dealt with in three months. Justice finally gets delivered, better late than never.