Abolish death penalty: in the land of Gandhi

  "Eye for eye ",we think  of it's a jungle law or law of rock ages, if a democratic society executes the same law ,its pity not just pity but a shame to the whole society. The laws the state implements and the practices the state follows are yard sticks of its culture and its civilization. The way we follow and respects human rights are undoubtedly are the yardsticks of our civilization. We proud to say about our country as land of peace. We reclaim Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi is proud sons of our state. But where are we in the practice?

    Many countries abolished the death sentence .Many civilized nations consider it as cruel and inhuman act. It has been abolished de jure or de facto by 106 nations, 30 countries have abolished it since 1990. The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It violates the right to life. It is irrevocable and can be inflicted on the innocent. It has never been shown to deter crime more effectively than other punishments. Very recently Philippines abolished the death penalty for all crimes in June 2006.

     The accused in the parliament attack case Mohmad Afzal Guru has been sentenced to death. It's true it's a rarest of rare crime, attacking the pillars of Indian democracy. Its not question of he Afzul Guru a Muslim or a Kashmiri.its not the nature of his crime. The law must change person not to kill him. Our political parties expressed their feeling and political philosophies against or pro for death penalties. Its not surprise to me to some political parties advocating for death penalties. In the Indian society, we love violence and revenge which our Bollywood and regional movies shows, and the movies are hit at the box-office. The movies made Amitab and Sharukh made super stars overnight. It's our perception and ideology but not gandhian ideology neither we practice or preach, we need to change at least now. We must wage war against terrorism with peace and non violence not with Bush agenda or Bliar agenda, with only the Gandian philosophy. Poor people are the worst victims of violence either it is state or private violence.

    We need recollect the words of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi who preached peace and the non 'violence in the sacred land. We must preach their lessons "forgiving even he is your enemy". Capital punishment amount to "revenge"by state which is "unethical "and "unnatural". Death penalty is abhorant under any circumstances. Death penalty is a true symbol of anachronism and a colonial law. We need change these laws to make our societies more civilized and more humanistic.

i belive crime and terrosim lies in our socio-economic and political system ,hanging a few persons without changing the whole system,will not yeild anty results.