Afzal Guru…

A fellow blogger asked me why I hadn’t written about the clamor to get Afzal Guru pardoned. The plea’s for clemency for the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist behind the attack on Indian Parliament are becoming louder and louder every day – but I just wanted to remain silent.

Here's Why?

• Because Afzal Guru is no different a terrorist than Yasin Malik – who enjoys the status of a ‘leader’ and gets preferred treatment in all places – after soaking his hands in the blood of unarmed men in uniform in the channapora massacre. If Yasin Malik today can roam free and get treatment at Indian Tax payers money in US – why not Afzal Guru. After all, Guru is such a junior terrorist.
• Because if Bitta Karate can aspire to be an MP or MLA sometime soon – and get released thanks to our over zealous legal luminouries – after having killed innumerable Kashmiri Pandits and Indians, and having no remorse for it – why can’t Afzal Guru aspire to live to be in Parliament some day; the same Parliament which he conspired to demolish.
• If Dawood Ibrahim or a Tiger Memon is a state-guest in Pakistan and world has been able to do nothing about it, and India still has diplomatic relations with them… why should not Afzal be a state guest at tax payer’s expense.
• Because, my dear…anything can happen in India for vote banks…A terrorist gets pardoned… and martyrs of the nation get trampled upon. Votes are more precious than the national honor. New recruits will join the ranks left vacant by those who died on that cold December day – protecting the honour and dignity of the Parliament. A pay scale here and there. Some cash allowances will be given to soothe the families of those killed. Ashok Chakra’s will be handed off. But to hurt a terrorist – which will hurt the sentiments of a potential vote bank – is a mortal sin in vote-bank democracy.

Supporters of Clemency

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq – the head of APHC (All Parties Hurriyat Conference) is one of them. For that matter whole of Kashmiri populace is out on streets demanding that Afzal be pardoned. The logic – peace process will be hurt and it will send a negative signal to the people of Kashmir.

If anything – a clemency and pardon will give a boost to the radicals – an impetus and a re-affirmation that India – which can be easily subverted. A state which a soft target for attacks – a soft target to be pummeled and easy to bend. And this has been done repeatedly year after year – by the Jehadi terrorists. Nothing would be worse and more stupid than reinforcing that with yet another submission.

When terrorists were released in exchange of the daughter (Rubaiya Sayeed) of then central Home Minister (and now state ruling coalition party chief Mufti Sayeed) in December 1989 – the same logic was given. And nothing in history of terrorism in Kashmir was a more stupid step – as it gave a new vigor to the terrorists and a belief that they could get away with anything.

When terrorists were released in exchange of IC-814 hijack – it reaffirmed the same analysis that India is a weak soft state – ready to be subverted.

Clemency to a terrorist responsible for the death of scores of officers of the Parliament would be the last nail in the coffin of Indian self-esteem.

Mirwaiz Farooq even has gone on record to state “Death sentences in this modern age when world has reached new highs is retrograde step”. Well said Mirwaiz Farooq sahib.

I wonder if Mirwaiz – in his capacity as the biggest religious leader of Muslims in Kashmir is going to issue a Fatwa proclaiming death penalty as un-Islamic soon. I would love to hear from him on this – and there by proclaim the Islamic sharia law – under which daily beheadings and chopping of arms is done across Islamic countries for petty thefts across the middle east – as un-Islamic. Why is that suddenly Mirwaize thinks there should be a new twist of humanity in laws – when he never had a problem with the sharia law used across Islamic world implementing far more gruesome punishments.

Congress Party of India, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and PDP party – for all of them, it’s a golden opportunity not to be missed – to via against each other and proclaim they are the greatest well-wishers of the Muslims – even if it amounts to getting a terrorist released. Doesn’t matter if there are more 7/11’s and more Malegaon’s after that… each of them offer another photo-opp and vote-bank speech opportunity.

Ghulam Nabi Azad – was inside the Parliament when these terrorists attacked. I really wish the security officers hadn’t resisted the attack with their precious lives and instead let the terrorist walk in and kill him. I wonder if his wife, Shamima Dev Azad would have still wanted clemency for the terrorist.

PDP party – Mufti Sayeed and his big fat daughter have made careers out of black mailing and arm twisting India – first in the stage managed drama of Dec 1989 when Rubaiya was kidnapped to help the terror movement – and now in their political avatar. Mehbooba Mufti has the audacity to threaten that the terror and bloodshed will increase in Kashmir if Afzal isn’t pardoned. This is coming from a political leader. In some other country – she would have been straight away sent to the prison and tried for threatening the nation – but she is a minority leader. She will soon be rewarded with a chief ministership for her blackmail.

Communists of India – the silent assassins of India. The lesser said about these dumb-wits – the better. They have no clue what they demand. They want the clemency because they believe BJP would want the hanging – so they must ask for its repeal.

Pseudo-secular Media and Pseudo-Human rightists – like Arundhati Roy… It’s the in-thing as always.

Arundhati Roy – the Goddesss of Minorities wants clemency for Afzal because she is against death penalty. Was Arundhati on sleeping pills when Dhananjoy Chatterjee was hanged?

She also claims that "The whole case is full of faulty evidence and fabricated stories and to hang someone for something he may not have done is not fair." Does Arundhati Roy have a legal degree in her kitty to proclaim this – on what basis is she being the extra judicial power here – giving a judgment. Is she aware of the background of Afzal – that Afzal has been a JeM and a JKLF member for years…

Arundhati’s and her ilk – have made a business of getting into such show of solidarity. It’s the new-Page 3 syndrome. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them soon in support of clemency for Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memons and Abu Salims…

Arundhati – did you care pay a visit to the families of those killed in the Parliament attack by these terrorists – and ask them about the pain and suffering they were going through? I guess not unless flashbulbs accompany you.

Arundhati – you had a lot of pain in your chest for the few thousand Muslim victims in the camps in Gujrat few years ago – that made you spend days with them showing support and solidarity. Do you even know about half a million Kashmiri Pandits, who are refugees for past 1.6 decades….? Ten’s of thousands of whom have been living in in-human refugee camps in Jammu for past 16 years… You didn’t think they were victims enough – just because they were Hindus. Yeah, this is the secularism of the day.

Arundhati – you had scores of issues with India trying to attain nuclear self-reliance and conducting nuclear tests – to build its deterrence against nuclear neighbors and enemies like Pakistan and China. And you refused awards from the then government on this account. I am still waiting for you to return the Bookers Prize – and go to that country and protest the nuclear arms that they built decades ago. Double Standards!! Eh!!!

And as usual our dear Media – it has already made a martyr out of Afzal Guru. Yesterday, a panel discussion on NDTV by Barkha Dutt – had Yasin Malik talking of peace and humanitarianism. Sounds like Pope Benedict preaching Quran …

I don’t know what kind of fools these people in metro’s are – who are taking out rallies and organizing candle light vigils – in the hope that killers/rapists of Jessica Lal, Nitish Katara and Priyadarshani Mattoo will get punished. In a country where terrorists can get away – what crime is a murder or rape?

Like as always, most of us will sign a few online petitions or send emails to President online and be done with it. To hell with whether another terrorist goes unpunished at the end of it. And that’s what even I did to absolve myself… I sent the following mail to the President of India… and decided to forget about the issue.

Dear President,

I, a Kashmiri Pandit, as a victim of terrorism and Jehadi agenda appeal you to NOT pardon any terrorists including Afzal - lest you want to shatter the belief of millions of peace-loving Indians in sovereignty of India and in the fact that India is still unbendable.

If Afzal is pardoned, it will be an insult to the thousands of KP's who were annihilated by ISI sponsored terrorists, a slap on the face of the forces killed while guarding the Parliament and a shame to the honor of the security of the nation - telling the people that vote bank politics is more important than upholding the honor of the nation.

-A Soul in Exile