The Congress-led UPA government recuperating from a crisisof inaction put up a rare show of grit and decisiveness with the sudden hangingof Pakistan national Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving member of the 10-memebrsquad which executed the gruesome 26/11 Mumbai terror attack that killed 166lives and injured 300. Ajmal Amir Kasab was hanged to death at Yerawada jail inPune at 7.30 am on November 21, barely a week before the fourth anniversary ofthe Mumbai terror attack.
One of the 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives who seized softtargets ” including the iconic Taj and Oberai hotels, Chhatrapati ShivajiTerminus, Leopold Café and the Jewish centre, Nariman Point ” and left behind atrail of blood and terror, Kasab had become the face of the 26/11 attacks.
In a swift and absolutely secret operation, Kasab was movedto Yerawada jail from his high-security prison at Arthur Road in Mumbai, some30 hours before he was to hang ” barely a fortnight after President PranabMukherjee rejected Kasab’s mercy petition. Kasab's death sentence was confirmedby the Supreme Court earlier this year.
Soon after his execution, Kasab was buried in an open spaceat the jail premises. Six pits were kept ready to ensure the exact burial spotremains a secret. Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said: “Indian mission inIslamabad informed Pakistan government about Kasab's hanging through a letter.Pakistan refused to take the letter, which was then faxed.”
Since India had not executed anyone since 2004, despitehaving more than 300 prisoners on death row, there were surprises among peopleand a section of the media doubted as to what made Kasab jump the queue whenconvicts like Afzal Guru (Parliament attack of 2001), Balwant Singh Rajaona(assassination of former Punjab CM Beant Singh), and the three assassins offormer PM Rajiv Gandhi have been awaiting their executions for many years. It was also alleged that Kasab was apolitically convenient choice, a charge somewhat supported by the suspicioustiming of the execution that came a day before the winter session of parliamentand weeks ahead of the Gujarat assembly election in December. However, thegovernment termed these allegations as baseless and maintained that the hangingsent out the message that perpetrators of the terrorist attack in Mumbai hadbeen brought to justice.
Truly, with this show of spine, India has sought to send outa clear message to the international community and pile up pressure on Pakistanto act against the masterminds and handlers of the 26/11 carnage.
in association with Governance Now
