In all candidness,
I find people's angst at the amount spent on Kasab extremely immature. I think
it is thoroughly justified.
Mark Twain once
said – “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the
majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
So, reflect - we will!
At the outset, the money wasn't spent on Kasab, but on his trial. That is an important distinction to make. I do not know where these rumours originate about Kasab being given roasted chicken every day. But it is easy to imagine whereof, given the vein in which people have been thinking about this issue. "Faaack, 29.5 crores were spent on this terrorist? What, was he given roasted chicken every day? And an AC room? And LCD TV? What ya. The government won't give electricity, but it will give butter chicken to this hopeless fellow."
Hogwash! Kasab is (was) no bada aadmi. By passing underhand favours to him in prison (like we hear is done to politicians in prison) nobody is to gain. Kasab wields no power, gets no votes. And gives the jailor infamy for treating him well.
So again. The money was spent on his trial. And on allied aspects, like security. And public prosecutor fees. And intelligence gathering.
Now that we've repeated this, let's discuss why the trial was important.
Primitively speaking, executing him without a trial blurs the line between the Republic of India and the barbaric non-state actors we're fighting against. If this isn't enough reason, let us move on to more involved reasons for having a thorough trial.
Having a thorough trial puts Pakistan firmly in the dock. Remember, this trial and its propriety, thoroughness and civility changed Pakistan's stance. From "We-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about" and "Kasab isn't from our country", over a span of a year they went to "Ok fine, he is Pakistani". We project ourselves as a mature victim of cross-border terrorism, and help Pakistan look like two-faced terrorist-harboring sons-of-bitches. This is an important victory for India.
Summary execution would have done just the opposite. If Kasab was hanged the next day of his capture, in an open square, with his body left for vultures to peck on, no sir, it wouldn't have sent any 'strong signal to terrorists about what India does to people who attack it'. It would have Pakistan laughing its way through its denials and skulduggery which it has mastered. And Pakistan hanging Sarabjit Singh. And so many more Gujarati fishermen, who sit on the death row in Pakistan. LeT would have used it as propaganda to generate more Kasabs. India would have lost the high-ground in the international forum, with no evidence that these terrorists and their handlers were from Pakistan. And not-even-a-trial-to-speak-of, just barbaric mob justice. Conspiracy theories would have abounded. Rumors could have surfaced that this was actually a Maoist attack on rich people in the city and in five-star hotels. Counter-rumours would have surfaced that these rumors were originating from Pakistan and were being fueled by the ISI.
The US can afford to hang Saddam after a mockery of a trial, India cannot.
The propriety and thoroughness with which India conducted the trial makes us look very very mature. It gives us empathy. Empathy of countries like France, Germany, Australia and others who do not care about terrorism the way US does, but usually strongly empathize with the cause of just and democratic nations. And given that India cannot march on into Pakistan and solve this with military might, this empathy is important. And spending on this diplomacy is far cheaper than a war anyway.
This was a small peek into why a trial was important. I do not claim to know all the pros. But if a trial was thus necessary, we wouldn't want LeT to attempt another attack and a rescue Kasab from his prison, would we. Or a Shiv Sena mob reaching his cell and hacking him to death. Hence the justification of the cost of security.
The bar council passed a resolution that none of its lawyers would defend Kasab. A Defence Counsel was to be found. Hence the delay. The counsel took Kasab through multiple appeals. Hence further delay. The prosecution wanted more time with Kasab to gather intelligence. Some of it involved co-operation, or at least correspondence, with Pakistan. More delay.
So. The money was not spent on Kasab. It was spent on yours and my safety. At the end of four years, after exhausting all mechanisms any civilization today could have produced, Kasab was hanged. It speaks of India's coming of age. And not the banana republic we would have seemed to be if we had let him hang to the music of cheering mobs a day after his capture. There's no honour in that.
At the outset, the money wasn't spent on Kasab, but on his trial. That is an important distinction to make. I do not know where these rumours originate about Kasab being given roasted chicken every day. But it is easy to imagine whereof, given the vein in which people have been thinking about this issue. "Faaack, 29.5 crores were spent on this terrorist? What, was he given roasted chicken every day? And an AC room? And LCD TV? What ya. The government won't give electricity, but it will give butter chicken to this hopeless fellow."
Hogwash! Kasab is (was) no bada aadmi. By passing underhand favours to him in prison (like we hear is done to politicians in prison) nobody is to gain. Kasab wields no power, gets no votes. And gives the jailor infamy for treating him well.
So again. The money was spent on his trial. And on allied aspects, like security. And public prosecutor fees. And intelligence gathering.
Now that we've repeated this, let's discuss why the trial was important.
Primitively speaking, executing him without a trial blurs the line between the Republic of India and the barbaric non-state actors we're fighting against. If this isn't enough reason, let us move on to more involved reasons for having a thorough trial.
Having a thorough trial puts Pakistan firmly in the dock. Remember, this trial and its propriety, thoroughness and civility changed Pakistan's stance. From "We-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about" and "Kasab isn't from our country", over a span of a year they went to "Ok fine, he is Pakistani". We project ourselves as a mature victim of cross-border terrorism, and help Pakistan look like two-faced terrorist-harboring sons-of-bitches. This is an important victory for India.
Summary execution would have done just the opposite. If Kasab was hanged the next day of his capture, in an open square, with his body left for vultures to peck on, no sir, it wouldn't have sent any 'strong signal to terrorists about what India does to people who attack it'. It would have Pakistan laughing its way through its denials and skulduggery which it has mastered. And Pakistan hanging Sarabjit Singh. And so many more Gujarati fishermen, who sit on the death row in Pakistan. LeT would have used it as propaganda to generate more Kasabs. India would have lost the high-ground in the international forum, with no evidence that these terrorists and their handlers were from Pakistan. And not-even-a-trial-to-speak-of, just barbaric mob justice. Conspiracy theories would have abounded. Rumors could have surfaced that this was actually a Maoist attack on rich people in the city and in five-star hotels. Counter-rumours would have surfaced that these rumors were originating from Pakistan and were being fueled by the ISI.
The US can afford to hang Saddam after a mockery of a trial, India cannot.
The propriety and thoroughness with which India conducted the trial makes us look very very mature. It gives us empathy. Empathy of countries like France, Germany, Australia and others who do not care about terrorism the way US does, but usually strongly empathize with the cause of just and democratic nations. And given that India cannot march on into Pakistan and solve this with military might, this empathy is important. And spending on this diplomacy is far cheaper than a war anyway.
This was a small peek into why a trial was important. I do not claim to know all the pros. But if a trial was thus necessary, we wouldn't want LeT to attempt another attack and a rescue Kasab from his prison, would we. Or a Shiv Sena mob reaching his cell and hacking him to death. Hence the justification of the cost of security.
The bar council passed a resolution that none of its lawyers would defend Kasab. A Defence Counsel was to be found. Hence the delay. The counsel took Kasab through multiple appeals. Hence further delay. The prosecution wanted more time with Kasab to gather intelligence. Some of it involved co-operation, or at least correspondence, with Pakistan. More delay.
So. The money was not spent on Kasab. It was spent on yours and my safety. At the end of four years, after exhausting all mechanisms any civilization today could have produced, Kasab was hanged. It speaks of India's coming of age. And not the banana republic we would have seemed to be if we had let him hang to the music of cheering mobs a day after his capture. There's no honour in that.
“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”
– Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Trivia:
Kasab’s is the second quickest ‘trial-to-execution’ case in India!
Rohan Sinha - A2305412307
Nitesh Dixit - A2305412298
Aayush Yadav - A2305412288
Chhayank Sharma - A2305412285
Dhruv Nangia - A2305412276
Rohan Sinha - A2305412307
Nitesh Dixit - A2305412298
Aayush Yadav - A2305412288
Chhayank Sharma - A2305412285
Dhruv Nangia - A2305412276
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