Gandhiji said “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” (“Five awarded death for 7/11 train attacks,” Oct.1). The sentence is likely to trigger another round of debate over capital punishment. Death penalty is unjust and inhuman. Its continuous use acts as a stain on our society. Further, when awarded to a terrorist, it has other repercussions as he becomes a martyr in the eyes of a few who may be motivated to follow his path. When 140 countries in the world have abolished the capital punishment, India has no reason to retain it and should repeal section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The European Union (EU) even has the ‘abolition of death penalty’ as a prerequisite for membership. The land of Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha has to do away with this brutal form of punishment.
Gagan Pratap Singh,
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