Why Balwant Singh Rajoana shouldn't be hanged

[Nalwa]

1) No, they are not. I did not say anything like that. It wasn't a choice between one or the other, so I don't know why the question is being asked. Speaks more about you than me.

2) That kind of argument holds no water in a court of law. "Your honour, I killed 16 innocent people in the alrger interest, in the larger interest the lives of these 16 people were unimportant." It doesn't work that way. If you kill an innoncet person, you will be convicted of murder and given the appropriate sentence, whether there was a larger interest to it or not. Thats accepted legal practice in any country.

What court of law are you talking about? How many perpretators of the 1984 riots have been punished by the same court of law? How many police have been hanged for picking up 1000s of youth never to be seen? Let me see you have your brother picked up by the police and returned by ambulance and see how much your trust the judiciary. Rajoana saw something similar and knew he couldn't trust the courts and took things in his own hands.

Judicial and democratic means are first to be applied by the state. If the state fails to uphold these values, the common citizens like Rajoana are fully justified in doing what they did.

 

[Bhairava]

So 16 people are more important than 1000s of sikhs???

Speaks plenty about u. he didn't kill them cause he wanted to. It was essential to kill them to kill the CM.

To the loved ones of the killed, yes they are important.

But that's not the point. The point is he killed 16 innocent people and must be punished for that. Now before you come to me about the killers of Sikhs, yes they should be punished and there is no two opinion about it.

But will those Sikhs get justice if this guy is not hanged ? Most certainly not. Instead the Sikh groups must pro-actively engage with the courts and make those scumbags like Tytler, Sajjan Kumar pay for their crimes against humanity rather than defensing a killer.

That is what I will do.

 

[janon]

What court of law are you talking about? How many perpretators of the 1984 riots have been punished by the same court of law? How many police have been hanged for picking up 1000s of youth never to be seen? Let me see you have your brother picked up by the police and returned by ambulance and see how much your trust the judiciary. Rajoana saw something similar and knew he could trust the courts and took things in his own hands.

Judicial and democratic means are first to be applied by the state. If the state fails to uphold these values, the common citizens like Rajoana are fully justified in doing what they did.

I don't think you understood the context in which I mentioned law courts. I was explaining a different point.

Anyway, to your last sentence - nobody is justified in taking 16 innocent lives to take revenge on one person. If perpetrators of other crimes haven;t been punished, that is no reason for this particular crime to go unpunished. This man killed 16 innocent people - that is an inescapable fact. And if you do that, you deserve a death sentence (or whatever is the punishment for murder in that place), even if it was for a larger interest.

 

[Bhairava]

What court of law are you talking about? How many perpretators of the 1984 riots have been punished by the same court of law? How many police have been hanged for picking up 1000s of youth never to be seen? Let me see you have your brother picked up by the police and returned by ambulance and see how much your trust the judiciary. Rajoana saw something similar and knew he could trust the courts and took things in his own hands.

Judicial and democratic means are first to be applied by the state. If the state fails to uphold these values, the common citizens like Rajoana are fully justified in doing what they did.

You do realize that there was an armed secessionist movement going on right ? The Punjabi police did what they did to stop the Khalistani militants who were kidnapping/killing the relatives,family members of the police, who themselves were Sikhs, for sending a message, getting terrorists released and for revenge. The police were then ordered to do the same to the realtives of the militants and within no time the militants stopped their practise.

f everyone gets there out for revenge, then we Hindus have the most to take revenge for. But that will only spell doom for our country.

 

[saiyan0321]

hang him or nt this might make him a symbol a hero and if ( going by jagjitnatt post) whole of punjab is supporting him then there is a very good chance that he can become that kind of like mangal panday. a symbol best should be give him a life sentence so that by time people will forget him and there could be a chance he might want to become a symbol ..... anyway this is my observation

 

[Nalwa]

The loved ones of the killed, yes they are important.

But that's not the point. The point is he killed 16 innocent people and must be punished for that. Now before you come to me about the killers of Sikhs, yes they should be punished and there is no two opinion about it.

But will those Sikhs get justice if this guy is not hanged ? Most certainly not. Instead the Sikh groups must pro-actively engage with the courts and make those scumbags like Tytler, Sajjan Kumar pay for their crimes against humanity rather than defensing a killer.

That is what I will do.

He's been punished. Served his time.

And Google HS Phoolka and read about his efforts to get scumbags like above imprisoned. Nothing happened. 4000 Sikhs killed and hardly 20 convictions. 9 commissions have come and gone, Read again - 9. Meanwhile orphaned kids have grown up and widowed mothers have carried on with their lives. But incidents like this issue now scratch old wounds. And these wounds will forever be unhealed untill some sort of justice is delivered. If its never delivered things like these will keep on happening.

The same is the issue in many places in our country. Kashmir, NE, Naxals stc. People who are supposed to safeguard the system, subvert it and this disillusions common people who end up picking guns.

 

[janon]

hang him or nt this might make him a symbol a hero and if ( going by jagjitnatt post) whole of punjab is supporting him then there is a very good chance that he can become that kind of like mangal panday. a symbol best should be give him a life sentence so that by time people will forget him and there could be a chance he might want to become a symbol ..... anyway this is my observation

Well, the courts are meant to be completely immune to the political process. The courts cannot mete out sentences on the basis of public opinion, or on the basis of how it would affect people's perceptions of him etc. The judges are expected to give the punishment prescribed by the criminal procedure code, and not change punishments to make someone a martyr or prevent someone from becoming a martyr.

 

[Nalwa]

You do realize that there was an armed secessionist movement going on right ? The Punjabi police did what they did to stop the Khalistani militants who were kidnapping/killing the relatives,family members of the police, who themselves were Sikhs, for sending a message, getting terrorists released and for revenge. The police were then ordered to do the same to the realtives of the militants and within no time the militants stopped their practise.

f everyone gets there out for revenge, then we Hindus have the most to take revenge for. But that will only spell doom for our country.

I do realize the armed secessionist movement, because guess what - I was there! And what you are saying is that the end justified the means, right? Maybe for you, but not for those the whom the means were applied.

A guy in my neighborhood was picked up one day by the police because some militants had stayed in his neighbors house 150 kms away in his ancestral village. And that guy hadnt been to his village in months. Still he was picked up. He returned two days later in an ambulance. I distinctly remember that morning when the ambulance arrived. They left for Canada 4 years later. Now tell me these means are justified? What would you have done if you were that guys son? You would have said "**** happens!", right?

 

[Bhairava]

He's been punished. Served his time.

His punishment was death sentence and according to Indian law his can be commuted to a lifer without parole.

And Google HS Phoolka and read about his efforts to get scumbags like above imprisoned. Nothing happened. 4000 Sikhs killed and hardly 20 convictions. 9 commissions have come and gone, Read again - 9. Meanwhile orphaned kids have grown up and widowed mothers have carried on with their lives. But incidents like this issue now scratch old wounds. And these wounds will forever be unhealed untill some sort of justice is delivered. If its never delivered things like these will keep on happening.

Completely agree with the above. My only point is defending Rajaona does not equal getting justice for those affected.

Hope some government in the future does deliver on the justice front and I for one would NOT like to see either tytler or kamal nath or sajjan kumar die a natural death due to old age without being punished for their crimes.

The same is the issue in many places in our country. Kashmir, NE, Naxals stc. People who are supposed to safeguard the system, subvert it and this disillusions common people who end up picking guns.

I disagree. Kashmir was NOT about disillusionment..It was/is by and large and idealogical battle..a battle for exclusivity vs inclusivity. Even the others I diagree partially..but that's for another time.

 

[saiyan0321]

Well, the courts are meant to be completely immune to the political process. The courts cannot mete out sentences on the basis of public opinion, or on the basis of how it would affect people's perceptions of him etc. The judges are expected to give the punishment prescribed by the criminal procedure code, and not change punishments to make someone a martyr or prevent someone from becoming a martyr.

thats true but in this case might want to make an exception since i think its not a bad idea to see whether killing him or leaving him in jail alive which is more benefit for country little help the execution will do if he becomes a hero and riots start happening everywhere

 

[Screambowl]

I am sure 95% of people do not even know who Rajoana is. This is bloody politics now. What he did was something to praise and curse too. But Death penalty is too much.

 

[Bhairava]

I do realize the armed secessionist movement, because guess what - I was there! And what you are saying is that the end justified the means, right? Maybe for you, but not for those the whom the means were applied.

I don't want to sound rude...but collateral damage happens where ever such secessionist movements are there and I can personally related to one such that just got completed 3 years before in Lanka...it was on a whole different scale than whatever worst happened in Punjab.

I agree, I cannot/would not be able to see the events through the same prism you view it...but I just want you to realize that both sides committed mistakes...and emphasis must be given on healing the wounds, both legal and political, caused by them rather than debating whether the wound should have been caused or not.

hang him or nt this might make him a symbol a hero and if ( going by jagjitnatt post) whole of punjab is supporting him then there is a very good chance that he can become that kind of like mangal panday. a symbol best should be give him a life sentence so that by time people will forget him and there could be a chance he might want to become a symbol ..... anyway this is my observation

Not whole of Punjab..whole of Sikh population.

 

[deckingraj]

You do realize that there was an armed secessionist movement going on right ? The Punjabi police did what they did to stop the Khalistani militants who were kidnapping/killing the relatives,family members of the police, who themselves were Sikhs, for sending a message, getting terrorists released and for revenge. The police were then ordered to do the same to the realtives of the militants and within no time the militants stopped their practise.

f everyone gets there out for revenge, then we Hindus have the most to take revenge for. But that will only spell doom for our country.

That is the most obnoxious of statements I have read so far..You defeat a lot of people by a big margin dude...May i know then what is the difference b/e terrorists and police?? Using your logic those relatives who got picked have the right to pick relatives of those policemen..torture/rape them, no???

I don't want to sound rude...but collateral damage happens where ever such secessionist movements are there and I can personally related to one such that just got completed 3 years before in Lanka...it was on a whole different scale than whatever worst happened in Punjab.

I agree, I cannot/would not be able to see the events through the same prism you view it...but I just want you to realize that both sides committed mistakes...and emphasis must be given on healing the wounds, both legal and political, caused by them rather than debating whether the wound should have been caused or not.

That is the crux....There is a reason whole of Punjab is supporting this chap...I am not against law taking its own course but when people see only one side getting the stick then such things are not going to help....

 

[Screambowl]

I think Case can be reopened and taken to supreme court and if BJP comes they will reduce the sentence to life term imprisonment

 

[deltacamelately]

He has held a position of moral high and his actions were ideologially motivated, not motivated by some personal grude or enemity. Heck, he didn't even act out of some personal greed or bias. He has been in captivity for about one and a half decade. High time the state draws a line of human principle and pardon him. It will heal a lot of wounded hearts, atleast in Punjab.