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The Central government has for the second time rejected the Tamil Nadu government’s request that the seven convicts – including the sole woman Nalini – in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case be freed by remitting the remainder of their sentences. In my view, New Delhi was right in putting its foot down.
I often get worked up over the continued plea for mercy in favour of the seven who are still languishing in Tamil Nadu jails. This is because, in addition to the legal position as outlined by the apex court in its ruling of 2 December 2015, my own emotions persuade me to believe that they do not deserve any sympathy.
This is one case where I am convinced that a good man like Rajiv did not deserve the kind of violence inflicted on him. I had the dreadful duty of identifying his body and trying to gather his mortal remains. Memories of the cruelty perpetrated directly on him and indirectly on 20 others who were killed that night still haunt me. If at all I recovered from the trauma thereafter – possibly over the next five years – I would attribute it solely to the Almighty’s mercies.
I am a fierce opponent of the death penalty. In spite of my strong views on Rajiv’s killers, I am happy they were spared the extreme punishment.
There is without doubt a mix of politics and humanity in the AIADMK government’s decision to remit the sentences, a move which was undone by the SC ruling that in a case investigated by the CBI, the Centre had to be consulted.
I am also persuaded by another of the apex court’s arguments – as forcefully put down by the eminent Justice Kalifulla, who wrote the order on behalf of the Bench – that the crime situation in the country was worsening, where law abiding citizens lived in fear and the lawless roamed with impunity.
Jayalalithaa has been consistent in her opposition to the LTTE and unequivocal condemnation of the assassination right from the start. I cannot say the same of many of her opponents, especially the DMK. Against this backdrop, the state Congress’ ‘dangerous liaison’ with the DMK is inexplicable, and the Congress High Command’s acquiescence of it even queerer.
The average Tamil is convinced that the conspirators who are being held in prison deserve no sympathy. It is the fringe elements who call themselves by different names who continue to stoke the fire despite little public support. We are therefore living in strange times, when there is even this modicum of support to those who deliberately killed a popular democratically endorsed leader. The assassination is a blot in the fair name of a state which had been known for its culture and humanity.
(The writer is a former CBI Director)
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