There are better ways of garnering public attention than asking for a
public hanging of Kasab outside CST.
OffStumped believes that the political rot in Maharashtra is much
worse than any other state in the country, including Uttar Pradesh.
The Congress-NCP duo of Deshmukh and RR Patil were symptomatic of the
rotten political culture with their callous actions and insensitive
remarks after the Mumbai terror attacks. AR Antulay joined them in
the hall of shame with his conspiracy theories about the killing of
Hemant Karkare.
Not that the two Senas are any better. Raj Thackeray might have taped
his mouth temporarily after the public rebuff during the Mumbai
terror attacks but his uncle, Bal Thackeray continues with his senile
rhetoric.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna, which is edited by Sena
chief Bal Thackeray, the party said since the entire world had
watched the carnage by the terrorists in Mumbai, there was no need
for an inquiry, examining evidence or giving Kasab an opportunity to
defend himself.
Demanding that Kasab be hanged publicly in front of the CST, where he
and his accomplice killed innocent people, the editorial said, "The
punishment will not be adequate even if he is hanged a hundred times."
This is a throwback to the era of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, when
such public hangings were common place. Fortunately, India is not
ruled by the Taliban. Amir Kasab deserves exemplary prosecution and
an exemplary defence. And once he is found guilty after an exemplary
judicial process, he deserves exemplary punishment not vigilante
justice of a tribal society.
Bal Thackeray is known to have indulged in such tirades and
philippics even earlier. His rants would best be ignored at most
times as rambling rhetoric of a senile man. However, in light of the
sustained diplomatic pressure on Pakistan, there will be a slight
difference this time around. This will elicit an interesting reaction
from the jingoistic Pakistani media — of India harbouring a "Hindu
Taliban". In effect, portrayal of a moral equivalence between India
and Pakistan. And the politically correct apologists in the
international media will lap it up.
Not that it makes a fig of a difference on ground to anything. But
Mr. Bal Thackeray should still better shut up. There are far better
ways of seeking public attention than empty rhetoric and gimcrack
innuendos that provides unnecessary fodder to media gristmills. India
can certainly do without this nonsense from Mr. Thackeray.
Update — Lex [in an off-blog conversation] explains that public
hanging is not permitted in India any longer. It has been held to be
unconstitutional; violative of the right to life under Art. 21 by the
SC in 1985 - AG v. Lachma Devi AIR 1986 SC 467.
source : http://pragmatic. nationalinterest .in/2008/ 12/18/bal-
thackeray-should- shut-up/
public hanging of Kasab outside CST.
OffStumped believes that the political rot in Maharashtra is much
worse than any other state in the country, including Uttar Pradesh.
The Congress-NCP duo of Deshmukh and RR Patil were symptomatic of the
rotten political culture with their callous actions and insensitive
remarks after the Mumbai terror attacks. AR Antulay joined them in
the hall of shame with his conspiracy theories about the killing of
Hemant Karkare.
Not that the two Senas are any better. Raj Thackeray might have taped
his mouth temporarily after the public rebuff during the Mumbai
terror attacks but his uncle, Bal Thackeray continues with his senile
rhetoric.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna, which is edited by Sena
chief Bal Thackeray, the party said since the entire world had
watched the carnage by the terrorists in Mumbai, there was no need
for an inquiry, examining evidence or giving Kasab an opportunity to
defend himself.
Demanding that Kasab be hanged publicly in front of the CST, where he
and his accomplice killed innocent people, the editorial said, "The
punishment will not be adequate even if he is hanged a hundred times."
This is a throwback to the era of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, when
such public hangings were common place. Fortunately, India is not
ruled by the Taliban. Amir Kasab deserves exemplary prosecution and
an exemplary defence. And once he is found guilty after an exemplary
judicial process, he deserves exemplary punishment not vigilante
justice of a tribal society.
Bal Thackeray is known to have indulged in such tirades and
philippics even earlier. His rants would best be ignored at most
times as rambling rhetoric of a senile man. However, in light of the
sustained diplomatic pressure on Pakistan, there will be a slight
difference this time around. This will elicit an interesting reaction
from the jingoistic Pakistani media — of India harbouring a "Hindu
Taliban". In effect, portrayal of a moral equivalence between India
and Pakistan. And the politically correct apologists in the
international media will lap it up.
Not that it makes a fig of a difference on ground to anything. But
Mr. Bal Thackeray should still better shut up. There are far better
ways of seeking public attention than empty rhetoric and gimcrack
innuendos that provides unnecessary fodder to media gristmills. India
can certainly do without this nonsense from Mr. Thackeray.
Update — Lex [in an off-blog conversation] explains that public
hanging is not permitted in India any longer. It has been held to be
unconstitutional; violative of the right to life under Art. 21 by the
SC in 1985 - AG v. Lachma Devi AIR 1986 SC 467.
source : http://pragmatic. nationalinterest .in/2008/ 12/18/bal-
thackeray-should- shut-up/
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