Capital punishment

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations' observation that the country should move towards the abolition of capital punishment is clear evidence of the recognition in principle that there can be no rational justification for that extreme penalty in a democratic state. Their views are representative of the current thinking across the world. Those who seek to take the high ground on national security contend that conviction related to terrorist crimes should be treated as a class apart, implying that it should automatically attract the death penalty. In our country, the justice system works in such a way that of the criminals caught, very few get convicted. Even among the convicted, those who have money and power, manage to escape punishment. Punishments are meant to have a deterrent effect on criminals and others. But has the death penalty had a deterrent effect? Society has a role to play in every act of crime. The process of manufacturing criminals and then killing them is a slur on our acumen and culture. We must stop making them; and, if made, we must reform them. If someone is hanged in this scenario, the injustice done to him is graver than the cruelty of it. But, ideally, we should retain the death penalty for the "rarest of rare" crimes. Justice should not be delayed in such cases. However, it is important to debate the issue before taking a decision. Though abolition of capital punishment is welcome, the government should not tie the hands of justice in dealing with heinous crimes. Gopal Sengupta Canada E-mail : gopalsengupta@aol.com