Capitalizing an Assassination
Earlier this month, Priyanka Vadra Gandhi met Nalini to “come to terms with her father’s death,” etc. Noble sentiments. A heart-warming gesture. However, not everybody was happy.
Even 17 years after Rajiv’s assassination, the families of most of the 14 victims who died along with Rajiv are yet to get any compensation promised by the Central and Tamil Nadu governments and the Congress party, reports The Times of India.
The promises made to the kin of the victims included cash compensation and jobs for children in government services. What upsets the families is that not only did the government honour the promises, but they didn’t even get a letter from the Congress party or the Gandhi family condoling the death of fellow Congress workers.
Out of their reverence for the lost leader, these poor villagers have been keeping to themselves their sorrow and frustration at the failure of the government and the Congress party to honour the promises.
But Priyanka’s much-publicised visit to the Velloor prison to talk to Nalini, without bothering to meet any of the families of other victims and enquire about their well-being, has angered the villagers. They ask the question: Why doesn’t Priyanka, who is showing sympathy towards a convict in her father’s murder case, not show any consideration towards the victims who died along with her father?
The underlined lines say a lot about the character of the youth leaders who promise a prosperous 21st Century India.
Miraculously, a sentence of capital punishment was commuted to a life sentence after/because Nalini delivered a baby in prison.
For a more enlightening account of the shindigs associated with this issue, read this.
Now, that her life is safe, Nalini has taken the next logical step.
A month after her meeting with Priyanka Vadra, Nalini Murugan, convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination plot, has moved the Madras High Court for early release.
It takes only commonsense and even a cursory observation of Indian politics to predict what will happen next. A free citizen, Nalini will contest elections: a fight will erupt between the Congress party and the DMK to claim her.
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Sandeep,
My comment is not exactly a response to your post, but nevertheless, it’s related to your post.
There was one Mr. Thomas, a Supreme Court judge, who made the following statement about Ms. Shanthi, who was also sentenced to death at that point of time. I’d like to bring it to your attention.
“Except the fact that she accompanied her husband from Sri Lanka in September 1990 and continued to live with him in India we are unable to find any involvement for her in the conspiracy to murder Rajiv Gandhi. Learned Special Judge has considered her case, tagging it with her husband’s case… We have not come across any material, apart from her living with her husband…, to suggest that she had any role in the conspiracy. It is very unfortunate that for the role played by her husband she has been sentenced to death.”
At this time, the Supreme Court acquitted 19 of the 26 people, including the aforementioned Shanthi, who were sentenced to death by a divisional court.
I bring this to your attention to highlight one thing. The judgment for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination was largely based on public sentiment. I’m yet to see an instance in history where the majority of people who were sentenced to death by a divisional court were ‘acquitted’ by the Supreme Court. This just goes to show that our judiciary is still largely influenced by public sentiment, which is a shame.
Judiciary, under any situation, should be beyond public sentiments and other such nonsense. If we were to punish people based on public sentiments and not based on evidences, then we don’t need courts at all. I’d like to know your thoughts on this issue.
Does anyone know about the connection between Sonia and LTTE? Quattrocchi supplied LTTE with arms; he gets off. Nalini, the bomber, gets placed in a cell with a co-conspirator, gets pregnant, and will be released with madame’s blessings. Rajiv tried to intervene against LTTE; he got punished. Dal mein kuch kala?
SONIA GANDHI IS THE MODERN ROBERT CLIVE
by Subramaniam Swamy
Krishnan,
What’s there to say? I agree with you. With the highest respect for our judiciary, I can only say that the courts aren’t exactly the “fearless” and “impartial” dispensers of justice. This is APART from your note about the judiciary not subjecting itself to be swayed by public sentiment.