Will Cruelty And Power Take Over Mercy And Humanity

The seven life convicts caged for the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case have spent more than a quarter of a century in prison but it is expected that they will never walk free. While the main perpetrators of the assassination  perished in the suicide belt bombing of the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi when he was on a visit to Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu in the year 1991 May, the seven others have been serving life terms after their sentences were commuted to life from death four years ago. 

The mother of one of the convict serving this sentence, Perarivalan, has been pleading for mercy killing of her son who has been in prison for 27 years now. He is accused of procuring a nine-volt battery for the trigger which can or cannot be with the  knowledge of the purpose to which the battery would be used.

The President of India has rejected the request to release the seven prisoners made by the Tamil Nadu government , as the Central government does not wish to show any mercy to the assassins and conspirators involved in the killing of a Prime Minister of the country. 

The issue has raised the ire of political parties wedded to Tamil nationalism, which have been invariably asking that the state invoke Article 161 to free the convicts. The Gandhi family has also forgiven the convicts for their role in the assassination masterminded and carried out by the LTTE of Sri Lanka. 

While Tamil Nadu is willing to show mercy, the Centre, regardless of the party or alliance in power, has been determined to set an extreme example of those willing to kill a leader. There is also a need to look for a final judicial order from a Constitution bench in the matter as four of the seven prisoners are Sri Lankan Tamils. The point to ponder is whether there is any space at all for humanitarian consideration even in such an extreme case.