‘Al vida’, said Afzal Guru to his executioner, who had himself bid him good bye with the same words a few seconds earlier. And then as the executioner pulled a lever, Afzal’s frame hung from the gallows.
“He was dead in a minute, though”, as per the jail norms, the body was kept hanging for a full half hour, said an official who witnessed the hanging. Thereafter Afzal’s body was taken down from the gallows and buried with full religious rites near Jail No. 3, right next to the grave of Kashmiri separatist Maqbool Butt who too was hanged in Tihar.
“But there is a difference between the two. While Butt was a separatist leader, Afzal never spoke about secession of Kashmir from India. In fact, he used to tell us that he had been unnecessarily dragged into this. In fact, he actually believed in ridding India of corruption," the official added. He spoke to The Hindu on condition he not be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the press.
While right-wing activists across the country celebrated Afzal’s execution, in the jail itself there was no celebration. Rather, the staff appeared glum. “He was a pious soul and was extremely well behaved. Even as he was being taken to the gallows, he greeted the jail staff he knew by their first names. The only thing he requested before the hanging was that ‘mujhay ummeed hai aap mujhay dard nahin karaogay’ (I hope you will not cause me pain). And he was assured by the executioner, who himself was overcome with emotion as he kept looking into his eyes as the black cloth was drawn over them, that it would be a smooth journey. And so it was."
Contrary to some media reports, Afzal was told of his impending execution on the actual morning and not the previous evening.
“The only thing he had in the morning was a cup of tea. But that is because he was not offered any food. Otherwise, he was so normal that he would have had that too.” Initially Afzal was wearing a pheran, or Kashmiri gown. He later took bath and changed into a white kurta-pyjama and offered namaz.
"There have been about 25 executions in Tihar and senior officials [here] have witnessed the last 10, but never have they seen a man so calm and composed on learning the news of his impending death."
In the last couple of hours of his life, Afzal had the company of some jail officials. And he narrated to them his thoughts about life and death. "He spoke of universal brotherhood and oneness of the mankind; how no human being is bad and how the soul in each one was a creation of the same God. He believed that if you moved on the path of truth, that was the biggest achievement."
In fact, Afzal was so calm in the morning that he even penned down some of his thoughts, put the date and time on the paper and signed it.
When asked by the jail staff about his last thoughts of his family, on who would take care of them, Afzal said "it was God who looks after each one of us and so would be the case now".
"His strength came from his spirituality. He was a learned man; as well versed in Islam as with Hinduism. Often, he would tell us about the similarities in the two religions. Some time ago he had read all the four Vedas. How many Hindus have actually done that? You normally rejoice at the end of evil, [but] when a pious soul goes away, it leaves behind a tinge of sorrow," the official said.
Recalling, how all through Afzal was "joyful" as also "cool and calm", the officials said in the past they have seen people shiver at being told about their being taken to the gallows. "But here it was just like what we had heard about people going to the gallows smiling."
Another difference between Afzal and others who were executed for terrorist crimes terrorists, the official said, was that while almost all others had made religious or political cries before being hanged, Afzal just walked the last 100 steps from his cell to the gallows as he normally would and went away wishing those around him.
Keywords: Tihar Jail, Afzal Guru, JeM, 2001 parliament attack, Afzal Guru hanging
Feel saddened on reading the article. In my opinion no devout muslim will hurt others by saying even bad words let alone killing innocent people as our Holy Quran teaches that. For the sake of argument, if we assume that Afzal Guru was really guilty, then the govt. should address the root cause of the problem to stop such attacks.
Afzal Hanging is merely a political game. I request all the politicians to stop these kind of activities in the best interest of the nation.
Can we stop making a hero and a martyr out of Afzal Guru? Spare a thought for those killed in the attack that he planned. We have not penned such articles for them, or shown pictures of their families - I suppose it does not make for a very interesting 'story'.
Yes, I am sad for Afzal's family. But justice, as defined by the law of our country, has been delivered and this will bring closure to the victims of the Parliament attack. Equally important, it shows zero-tolerance to treason and an attack on our democracy.
If we have to live in peace and harmony, we should have uniform laws for
all and no one should be treated above the law. Irrespective of
religion, political association and family background let the present
law prevail over everybody. Every citizen should be treated and governed
by the same set of laws.
The objective of any punishment is reforming the criminal. But death sentence never provides that opportunity and neither it has reduced crime rates in USA, India or China. Regardless of whether Afzal was a guilty or not - he seemed to be a man supporting harmony among religions & humans. But we have missed that opportunity to use this man to change others by killing him and the good soul within.
'The Hindu' is right in pointing to flaws in the trial and arguing against death penalty. And the range of commentaries are very enlightening. But the attempt to make the hanging an emotional issue is unethical and shows a total lack of professionalism.
I am not going to debate on the decision of the SC. However the manner
he was hanged was just cruel. All the judicial process/human
norms/belief in democracy went up in the air by killing of Afzal. No
more killing, not in my name!!!.
I wonder when India will wake up and start functioning with honesty and efficiency. And there will be less terrorism.
And for Afzal Guru's ..., there should be an inquiry if an honest and innocent person was hanged, and if authorities acted and instead got a scapegoat, as it happens in Hyderabad due to pressure from politicians, and the culprits go scot-free, and innocents are punished. And the authorities are just sweeping everything under the rug.
If even one innocent is sacrificed, then there is no true democracy in India. If you Afzal Guru are genuinely innocent, as an Indian I am truly sorry and my sincere apologies to you and your family.
I hope a day would come, when all Indians would start respecting each other and forget the past, the history and instead of carrying the grudge, try to live in peace.
What I fail to understand is how a responsible media organization like
Hindu is allowing such articles to be made public! A terrorist who waged
a war on India, duly adjudicated by the Supreme Court to death sentence,
after is made into a martyr! What a shame!
Nothing more to say...I am ashamed to say, that, India is any more a
democratic country and in the path of Ramachnadra or Mahtma Gandhi.
Though, I am a Hindu, but my religion never allow such barbaric and
inhuman activity...I don't know whether afzal is a true terrorist or
poised as a terrorist to hide the identity of few big wigs..Even if,
he is a terrorist and directly involved in parliament attack, our law
of land never allows such barbaric and politically positioned
deeds..to any human, what ever may be the extent of his crime is...
If you were so sure of his deed, what the hell was going on for last
12 years...
Since he is innocent he was at peace in death.May God give him peace
paradise.
There are so many lies in the media anything can happen in
India.Initially it was announced he was told the previous day and we
are informed that he was informed only in the morning.A shame that
India will have to live in history and the leaders who facilitate
this, will rot in hell.I'll not even blame leaders but people who
elect these heartless people again and again.
I feel really sorry reading the comments!!!
Why are people forgetting that he had given all possible chance for a
fair trail. He had full 12 years of trial. What are people talking here
about a fair trail. Above all this, when the govt does not hang
terrorist people go all bragging "The current govt is just not fit to
sit at the center". When 5 people raped a girl in Delhi , even before
justice could be done, people wanted those all 5 to be hanged. Why are
people so so unstable in thoughts!!!!
Ref: Outlook Magazine Oct 30, 2006, 'And His Life Should Become Extinct' - The Very Strange Story of the Attack on the Indian Parliament -- By ARUNDHATI ROY
The fact remains that the court finding was not a consequence of a judicial determination but based on the perceived desire of the society (read political expedience) as per the excerpt formt he judgement: "...but collective conscience of the society will only be satisfied if capital punishment is awarded to the offender."
This alone is an indictment on the Indian judiciary!
Ms Roy goes onto say: "To invoke the 'collective conscience of society' to validate ritual murder, which is what the death penalty is, skates precariously close to valorising lynch law.It's chilling to think that this has been laid upon us not by predatory politicians or sensation-seeking journalists (though they too have done that), but as an edict from the highest court in the land."
Let us think: What is the true aim of instituting penalties?
One feels sad and wonders how such a man was misguided and took part in the conspiracy to attack Parliaamnet , the temple of Indian Democracy.
The whole article tries to equate Afzal Guru as a Mahatma. It is also possible that he had resigned to his fate long back and so behaved this way.
was this the collective conscience of the nation. was it for the appeasement of the
majority..... has the justice been done?????
We all are with Afzal Guru and further deny his hanging. This is all about politics and nothing else. All politicians in charge were aware about the results of his hanging but still they want to worsen the situation of Kashmir valley in particular. Most people of Kashmir are without food and essential commudities from past three days due to the imposition of curfew. Further the reults of Guru's hanging claimed three innocent lives and 45 injured persons so for in Kashmir. Every step taken by Indians are always vanishing Kashmiris. Now in what way Kashmir will stand with India? They will definitely go for independence strikes.
Yeah, the story which you brought up is good. Better to tell the people the truth. The main planner in the attack was Ghazhi Baba and his associates in Pakistan. Afzal guru was against the occupation of Indian Army in his state. The real truth in Kashmir is you have to do both what the security forces or the terrorist says, you cannot deny. The hidden fact is Afzal Guru obeyed all instruction given unto him. He himself was not taken into action. If Afzal did not obey the instruction , do u think Ghazi baba would have left his family to survive ? Only in the future lets not make hasty decisions like this.
Dear Mr Editor, please move on. There are a lot of more important news happening around the world. Please focus on them.
Why does a man realize his/her mistake & start feeling for GOD after sorrows suffered? Maa Kumti when encountering Lord Krishna once spoke " O Lord give me sufferings , so that I could remember YOU always." But Lord takes care of his devotee at the natural bonding level. The same care has to be taken by the government which is acting like the as facilitator. But alas the scene is completely different as the imperfect facilitator, the Government is not working as Lord. The govt. is corrupt filled with greed & lust for Power which has imperfect Positive Law vis-a-vis Natural Law. We are lacking the human side of Govt. as well as moral ethical Govt. which can give the Public a fearless society. We have failed as a state to give wisdom to its own people to lead a respectable life. Think twice before accusing anyone. We have lost earlier many souls & lost a life now again. Please ponder over where we are going.
Totally inappropriate article.He was not a hero but a terrorist ,who planned an attack against our democracy.
I am against capital punishment, period, howsoever heinous the crime is.
State error is State terror.
Every person who is going to die will do this .
Why this paper is trying to raise sympathy for such man ?
Please stop glorifying terrorists .
I wish the author also provided the other side of the story, i.e., the proofs against Afzal Guru presented in court, reasons for Supreme Court refusal to commute his death sentence etc. Even if we buy into the arguments of Arundhati Roy op-ed that proofs against Afzal Guru manufactured that led to his death sentence by the lower court are we to then assume that even Supreme Court could not or the UPA govt could not uncover the falsehood of the proofs (supposedly manufactured during NDA regime)!
At a human level I sympathize with Guru's family and it is sad to read about the last moments of his life but this should not be used to insinuate that he was innocent man sent to the gallows by Indian judicial system, without offering convincing arguments and proofs.
why are we blaming HINDU that there standard has gone low. I guess
they just wanted their viewers to know about the last days of Afzal
guru. This article shows us that every soul created by God is good.
Its only the situation that makes the person go bad. Its not good
enough to criticize a soul after death.I would like to appreciate the
efforts of HINDU in telling its viewers about the last minutes of a
person whose purity of his soul overcomed the terrible things which he
did when he was alive .
dont forget our people who got killed in that attack... stop treating
him as a hero.
His life is gone because of his choices however we cannot ignore that even politics is also responsible up to good extent. Death sentence does not ensure law abiding citizens. The enforcement of law and order will ensure that people do not indulge in petty crimes later on to become criminals and convicts eventually meeting Guru's fate. Enforcement of the laws in existence is enough to guarantee safe life in our country. It is just not govt responsible but even citizens too. We also keep on exploiting loopholes and shortcuts in daily life that way we promote corruption and other crimes.
It was juidicial murder of an innocent person. We all indians should feel shame of this action. All court proceedings, lawyers, level or evidences show that he was an innocent soul.
"Official feel a tinge of sorrow" if Afzal Guru was such a poise soul
and indirectly officials feel that he should not be hanged then there
are two inferences First, the system of which the officials are a
functioning part is so weak and cheated the truth. Second, all of them
are coward.
What is the significance of this statement? Are they trying to say that
we have created a country in which any poise soul can be accused and
hanged to death?
I don't want to critisize anybody nor do i want to assume the man was wrongly implicated for then the same court released four others.However i would pray and wish from the depths of my heart his soul rests in peace.Congress has been exposed,its soul has been exposed.May the structure and spirit of this great nation be able to undo all injustices.May Guru's family find solace.
The Political games should end.Any Indian,will love to see the progress and coexistence of mankind.Being a Hindu,I feel ashamed to see how the barbarians of RSS,VHP and BJP pulled down Ayodha Babri Masjid.Similarly, innocent sikhs were massacred in The Rape Capital of THE World after math of Indira Gandhi's death.Indira Gandhi was herself not against Sikhs. The Politics of Akalis and Badal's is too bad.The Governance in Punjab is really bad.The so called VHP,RSS and BJP ,if they are for Hindutva,they do not play divisive politics.Hinduism never allowed or allows division on any basis.The BJP government in Karnataka is totally in doldrums and the dreams of BJP forming government at the centre will never be materialized.Corruption and Congress are twin brothers.They never do any good for India.Unfortunately, every Indian is suffering because of the corrupt and divisional politicians including Badals, jayalalitha, Mayawati, Mulayam,Mamatha and unfortunately communists.
An unwanted article. The author forgot to mention one thing amidst describing his heroism, that he was a terrorist nabbed for planning the attack on the symbol of our democracy. Misleading and blaming Indian judiciary.
Reading this article made me sad. What did we achieve by taking his
life? If there is even the smallest chance of his having been innocent,
we can not undo his execution. Could he not have been shown mercy and
his sentence commuted?
It was extremely sad day for Indian democracy and judiciary. He was an Indian citizen and deserved a fair trial. Its a high time abolish capital punishment altogether. Its inhuman, no institution have authority to dictate over human live. My heart is saddened and horrified by fragile judiciary system and democratic institution. We are fast falling into fascism, if continue to follow path of majoritarian.
Dear editor
In his last days, Mr Guru might have changed. His views might have changed but that does not alter his involvement in this crime (attack on parliament). High court and supreme court judges have seen the materials presented to them. They released few and convicted few . It is fair process and he was given all oportunity.
If his life is good to be preserved, did he consider other lives that were lost? How are their lives less significant? How many have lost their father/mother/sister because of this terror attack on parliament? Is Hindu considering that he is completely innocent? You should beleive courts if not high court..supreme court and its judges and the appeal process.
It is true that when a life is lost, everybody feels for that loss. However he is also responsible or assited some terrorist to take others life? what way is this correct-morally?
Does "The Hindu" standadrd has fallen so low that it has to take cover under feelings of prison staff to assert something which defies logic? The supreme court has unequivocally said that Afsal Guru did participated in everything (planning, sponsoring, monitoring etc) except the execution itself.
The Death penalty in general can be contested but trying to potray this case was different than other cases is ridiculous on your part, I think supreme court had deliberated enough on this before deciding on punishment.
I am not sure why are we making this man 'Mr.Afzal Guru' the martyr.
He was calm during his last journey not because he didn't feared death
but because he was a cold blooded murderer. If he was so great why did
he filed mercy petition with president. Another thing If he was not a
separatist why did he planned the attack, that killed innocent, to
bring kashmir issue in eyes of world. How can any body who
killed innocent people live in peace. Hindu and media rather than
telling tale of his last journey why don't you cover the story of
people who got killed in parliament attack and tell us how
their(victim's) family are coping with their loss. Did victim got
every help from govt. and do they feel proud that their son/daughter
got martyred for their country?
In hanging Afzal Guru, India hung justice itself. Lies and inaccuracies in the police
chargesheet and no lawyer and yet half this country is hooting with blood lust. Shame.
A sincere request to all the sympathisers of Afzal - please don't make a martyr or Baba out of him. The punishment was given to the sin he committed. He might be a good person and but for that attack on the Parliament he might have led a noble life. But law will consider the magnitude of crime. Now if someone argues that death penalty is good or bad, it's fine and debatable. But within the jurisdiction when judiciary has decided to hand over that sentence, it will be followed. I also feel for the loss of a human being, but not for a criminal who attacked India's Parliament.
The article describing him here stands antithetical to what he had done. Either he
was not a terrorist, or this report is false.
Amazing reporting by The Hindu. Not a word of the terrorist's misdeeds, not a mention of the people murdered by him and their families. The Hindu's empathy for the terrorist is mind blowing.
One would think that the case went through different levels of judicial systems and the highest constitutional offices, and hence the verdict can only be right, especially when some of his colleagues were let off even before completing their terms because of their good behavior. However, if he was the person what this piece of news suggests, putting him to death was not possibly the best thing.
During last 2 days, I read a lot about Afzal Guru. The more I learn, the
more it shakes my beliefs. May his soul rest in peace and his family
sail boldly though this time.
May his soul rest in peace. And may such a travesty of justice never
happen again! It is indeed one of the darkest chapters of Indian
democracy
Every one calls him a terrorist but his life in prison and his behaviour defies that. It looks as though he was filled with inner joy in anticipation of meeting his Lord. May be when Sangh Parivar is celebrating his exit from this world, the Heavens may be celebrating his entry there.
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