Killing the Killer

On 26th of November, 2008, India woke up to savage terrorist attacks on its commercial capital, Mumbai. The country was sent into a paralyzing state of shock. There was uproar over the weak security, the dysfunctional intelligence and the apathetic media. The soldiers were once again hailed as heroes and the sole captured terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, was cursed with the bitterness of a billion hearts. Nearly seventeen months of “fair trial” later, on 6th May, 2010, the court finally sentenced this terrorist to death by hanging. But the country refuses to rest in peace till they see this man actually taken to the gallows. Never have the children of Gandhi been this thirsty for the blood of a man.

And yet, as always, the objective has become hazy. Suddenly, Kasab is no longer just a terrorist. He is a Muslim, and a Pakistani Muslim at that. The war is no longer against the terrorist and his brain washed ideals but against his religion and its ideals. Indians want not just a terrorist killed but a country eradicated, not just a death sentence, but a war. This reaction comes from years of emotions, openly suppressed and secretly encouraged. Really, we are not too different from these terrorists themselves. Like them we want hatred and bloodshed and fear to pollute the minds of our fellow citizens and future generations. Like them we’d rather divide the world into a million boundaries and care for only what lies within ours.

When Kasab hangs, for hang he will, let his death be a slap on the face of terrorism, not a payback to a country. He is not a martyr but a criminal. He will be mourned by none but his family and will be hailed by not even them. He is nothing but a pawn in the hands of bigger terrorist organisation whose motive is nothing but to generate fear. Then are we to play into the hands of terrorists by hating and dividing amongst ourselves?

Article Author: Shreya Sen

When not plotting the murder of the ants in her bedroom, Shreya Sen thinks about issues that affect women and children around the world. She hopes to make the world a better place and maybe learn a tune or two on her guitar.

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