President's Right to Forgive

There has been much hue and cry on the hanging of Afzal Guru, the punished pertrator of Atack on Indian Parliament, as early as 2001. The Apex Court of India found and concluded that Afzal was involved in the terror attacks on the Parliament.

The drama started then. Guru applied for clemency to the President, who then was Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. For the last two or more years his applicaation for clemency is doing the rounds of the various tables of Union and State of Delhi Government.

Politics apart, a ridiculous thing is that in the name of clemency petetion to the President, a Supreme Court judgement is being subjected to the srutiny by the executive! This is the clear cut violation of the ethical prctice and theory of "judicial supremacy".

It may be reminded that the Presidents has been given the clemency power as merely a symbol for his recognition as the head of State. If he is not using that power and it has been assigned to the babu's, it is not justified. If the President uses his descretion and reasoning in allowing or rejecting a clemency petition then only has this right of the President any reasoning and rationale. Otherwise, we are subjecting Supreme Court's rulings as well as President's dignity to the executive scrutiny, anexecutive that is very much political in nature. Afzal Guru's case is the shining example of this.

How Safe Are We?

Today, as everyday, I was on way to my workplace on a local train with my daily friends and copassengers. One of them happens to be a rice miller. Being a rice miller puts him somewhere in a category of millionaires. He is a loudmouth. He was telling a story. His daughter is married and out of India. She happened to need some money and wanted it from her account. the Rice miller father armed with an authority letter not specifically for Bank's purpose, wanted to draw money. When the counter clerk objected, he went to the Manager, dropped names, and got the amount withdrawn.
The rice miller had no mala fide intention, and he was actually working on behalf of her daughter. But the bankers, as the custodian of deposited money, had ethical, moral, legal and technical right to disallow the father from withdrawing money. However, the father was irked on being prevented from having her say. His very common jibe is "जानते नहीं हो क्या?" and तुम अभी हमको पहचानते नहीं हो.
Amazing is it not? I think we should feel safe and pleased if some custodian is so honest to his job that he would not allow even the known ersons from getting undue favour. We don't. We are instantly hurt if the TTE comes and asks for our tickets, even if he might be recognising us, a policewalla stops us for security check, or we are asked to follow the queue to pay some bill or take a ticket.
In Mumbai, an acquaintance told that it tkes just Rs. 500.00 to get oneself verified to take a house on rent.
Why should terrorists feel unsecured in India. They are not likely to be checked or verified anywhere. Why raise finger on the government then, or even on Pakistan for that matter. We as a Nation are ready to take attackers. And we will be facing them a dime a dozen.