The Frenzy Mongers

Ajmal Kasab was hanged in November last year, and Afzal Guru in February this year. Identifying Kasab as a Pakistani national, India offered his remains to Pakistan. Kasab’s family might have been inclined to accept them for funerary rites. But Pakistan turned down what was definitely a civilised gesture on part of India. In dealing with Guru’s family, however, India hasn’t behaved in as civilised a manner as it did after Kasab’s execution. His family members wanted to have the body, but it turns out they didn’t get to hear of his execution before it was over. He was buried right in Tihar jail, where he had been hanged. Have you wondered what the reasons might be?

Incidentally, although both the hangings were related to Pakistan in one way or the other, they did not attract much attention in Pakistan, whether at the government or at the public level. (Even the attack on Sanaullah, a Pakistani prisoner in a Jammu jail, did not attract much notice, although the Foreign Office, of course, was forced to comment on it.) Newspapers only single-columned the hangings on their back pages. But the response to the hangings in India was in complete contrast: leaders and workers of some political parties cheered on hearing of the executions; some TV clips showed them thrusting sweets into each other’s mouths in celebration. Another event which is resulting in much hyperventilation in India is the death of Sarabjit Singh in a Pakistani prison: he was done to death by fellow inmates on death row, hardly the sort to worry about being brought to justice, as the Indian prime minister has demanded. Of course, there’s no excuse for any prisoner being killed by fellow prisoners. Sarabjit’s jailors are as responsible for his death as are Sanaullah’s for the attack on him. But such laxity is part of life in both India and Pakistan, which cannot and should not go to war over such slackness. I can also understand and appreciate the reactions of Sarabjit’s family, for his wife lived virtually like a widow for more than two decades and his daughters hardly saw him. And it’s the Indian government’s job to protest, as an Indian inmate has been killed in cold blood in a Pakistani jail. But what’s the Indian media getting so much into a tizzy about? For Sarabjit was convicted for being involved in terrorism, just like Kasab. His case was reviewed twice by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The brave lawyer who was following his case wept like a child when he met Sarabjit’s sister, who was allowed into Pakistan when he was critical. I wonder if any Indian lawyer would have been so bold in Kasab’s defence. Leave alone Kasab’s case, even Guru was convicted chiefly due to bad legal representation.

People regarding Sarabjit as a hero fail to consider certain essential points. Sarabjit was an Indian, but involved in terrorism in Pakistan. I thus do not see any difference between him and Kasab. The similarity ends in that one was killed unofficially and the other officially.

I can understand that India is angry about the 26/11 attack on Mumbai. It goes to the UPA government’s credit that it acted in a mature fashion, unlike the NDA government, which, following the 2001 Parliament attack, piled troops upon the border. I cannot say relations have progressed a great deal since then, but at least we communicate with each other and the borders remain open.

In February 2007, the Samjauta Express was bombed by Hindu fundamentalists near Panipat and 68 Pakistanis were killed. There are still no convictions. Pakistan did not line up troops on the border despite having a general at the helm of affairs in the country and the media and the public did not go berserk talking about teaching India a lesson.

Terrorism is a universal problem today; Pakistan is one of the worst sufferers. The terrorists who bombed the underground trains in London were Pakistanis. The UK government did not hold Pakistan responsible. The terrorists of 9/11 were Saudi nationals. The US did not behave with Saudi Arabia the way some Indians would like India to behave with Pakistan.

We are neighbours and there’s no reason we shouldn’t also communicate about these issues. Not in five star hotels, where retired bureaucrats are deployed in largely meaningless ‘Track II’ diplomacy but between officials with the power to make decisions. As for the Indian media, particularly the electronic media, it’s useless to request it to refrain from fanning hatred. However, I’m glad there are sane voices—like that of Arundhati Roy—to courageously see sanity and balance in the face of this tsunami of hatred. The itch to “teach Pakistan a lesson” may get some TRPs, but won’t take the two nations anywhere ahead.

(Jillani is an advocate in the Pakistan Supreme Court)