After penning his experiences as a death row convict in a book, An Appeal from the Death Row (Rajiv Murder Case – The Truth Speaks) in 2008, A.G. Perarivalan alias Arivu, is looking forward to document his views against the death penalty.
In his written reply to questions posed by The Hindu through his lawyers, Perarivalan, now a life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, said, “I have a definite idea to write a book on my experience about how death penalty is wrong.
The book may be in documentation form or novel form.”
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Whatever be the form of the book, the 44-year-old prisoner is certain that it would “shake the conscience of persons” who think death penalty is the only solution to tackle most of the crimes.
Describing the last 25 years in prison as “horrible and painful,” he said, “It is not a prisoner’s or a convict’s pain. It is more than that — the pain of an innocent.”
For quite sometime now, Perarivalan, who is lodged in the Vellore Central Prison for Men, has been undergoing treatment including for high blood pressure, orthopaedic and urological problems.
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Mental stress
“Now, I am taking medicines for health reasons. But I do not know what medicine I have to take other than freedom to cure my mental stress,” he added.
Perarivalan has completed BCA and MCA from Indira Gandhi National Open University and a number of certificate courses from the prison.
He disagreed that the State government’s letter to the Centre on March 2 seeking its views on the release of the seven convicts was with the elections in mind.
“There is no second opinion that seeking the view of the Union government before our release is the best possible solution,” he noted.