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| Fate on Guru's mercy petition to be decided shortly | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, June 23 : Will the President of India reject or accept the mercy petition filed by Tabusum,wife of Afzal Guru,who has been sentenced to death by the Supreme Court on charge of his involvement in the terrorist attack on the Parliament house on December 13,2001 in which over four security personnel were killed ?This is a million dollar question because of pressure being mounted on the Congress led Government in the centre, one demanding immediate execution of the death sentence and the others favouring life imprisonment.Since the President of India has not yet received any recommendation from the central Government the mercy petition has been hanging fire in the Rashtrapati Bhawan for the last four years. Reports reaching here said that the Union Home Ministry has plans of recommending the rejection of the mercy petition.It is not yet clear whether the Union Home Minister, P.C.Chid-ambaram, will send his recommendation to the President through the Prime Minister before he leaves for Islamabad on June 26 or submit it after his return from Pakistan.
The issue pertaining to the future of Guru is considered very sensitive in the light of the upcoming India-Pakistan parleys and in the context of an upswing in the level of violence in the Kashmir valley and the border ceasefire violations by the Pak troops.Reports said that though the Union Home Minister may route his recommendations to the President of India through the Prime Minister, Manm-ohan Singh may prefer keeping the matter under the carpet. He may not favour a decision which could trigger conflict between Delhi and Islamabad and result in the escalation of violence in the Kashmir valley.
Political analysts are of the opinion that the separatism and anti-India sentiments in the Kashmir valley started taking roots soon after a cofounder of the JKLF,Maqbool Bhat,was executed in Tihar jail on February 11,1984.These very analysts have suggested to the Government of India to keep the entire matter regarding execution of Guru or the decision on his mercy petition under the carpet till the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir registered further improvement. But those who favour early execution of the death sentence argue that delay in implementing the verdict of the Supreme Court could send a wrong signal for the nationalist forces.They argue that had the Gover-nment adopted a firm policy regarding the elimination of militants involved in brutal killings the situation in Jammu and Kashmir would have registered a marked improvement.They said that even those who have been responsible for a number of carnages in Jammu and Kashmir continue to enjoy the Govern-ment's hospitality in the jails.
There are others who favour caution on the part of the Government of India because during the last nine years Afzal Guru,even after having been awarded death sentence by the Supreme Court,as assumed the stature of a political hero in Kashmir.They say that if Guru was hanged to death he would be treated as a "martyr" by a large section of people in Kashmir as was the case with Maqbool Bhat.
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