Hang Afzal Guru, say kin of victims

December 14, 2012 02:45 am | Updated November 17, 2021 05:08 am IST - NEW DELHI

Family members and relatives of the  victims of the 2001 Parliament attack pay homage at the Police Memorial at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

Family members and relatives of the victims of the 2001 Parliament attack pay homage at the Police Memorial at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

“Time seems to have stood still for us. Over a decade after the Parliament attack our families are still coming to terms with the void that it has left behind in our lives,’’ says Gangadevi, wife of Delhi Police Assistant Sub-Inspector Nanak Chand who lost his life.

Sitting along with other families who lost their near and dear ones in the attack, she says: “Today [Thursday] is the 11 anniversary of the attack, but we are yet to reconcile with what has happened. My husband was posthumously conferred a bravery award in recognition of his sacrifice, but we have returned the medal demanding death by hanging for Afzal Guru. Probably his death will help me regain my lost faith in justice and democracy. Right now the Indian government seems to be protecting Afzal. When we know that he is guilty and that he is responsible for such a heinous crime, what prevents us from allowing him to be hanged.”

The family members who gathered at the All-India Anti-Terrorism Front president Maninderjit Singh Bitta’s residence on Thursday spoke of their pain and noted that their only demand was death for Afzal.

Sunita Devi, wife of Vikram Bisht who was on security duty, says: “My only concern now is educating my children and ensuring a good life for them. But we as a group appeal to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to respect the sacrifice made by the security personnel and clear the path for the execution of Afzal.’’

J. Balaji reports:

Amnesty International has urged President Pranab Mukherjee to immediately halt all the death sentences and go with the internationally accepted principle of “right to life” in the backdrop of increasing demands for the execution of Afzal Guru.

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