“Kill to the last breath”- that is the primary doctrine he was inculcated with. The irony lies in the fact that now every breath he takes is killing him. If you are wondering who I’m talking about, then let me unveil the name of this unfortunate person………its none other than Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

Born to the ‘Kasab’ or butcher community, Ajmal has his roots in Faridkot, Pakistan. His family is supported by the incomes of his father, a snack cart owner, and his elder brother, who works in Lahore. Barely studying till the age of thirteen, he went over to Lahore to work with his brother. However, it was not long when he returned home. Living amidst poverty, disgusted him. In 2005, he demanded new clothes from his father on the occasion of Id but he met with disappointment. A fight with his father prompted him to leave his home then and there. Little did he know that this time it would be difficult for him return.

In order to have a living, he got engaged in petty crimes with his friends. An armed robbery was not far off for him. In 2007, while buying weapons at Rawalpindi, he encountered Jamaat-ud-Dawan, the political wing of Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT), distributing pamphlets. After a short conversation, he enrolled himself for training, finally ending up at the base camp (Maskaz-e-Toiba). It is alleged that 24 men, he being one of them, got trained in marine warfare at Muzaffarbad. Ten of the twenty-four men got selected to carry out the well-planned Mumbai terror attack. Reportedly, the Lashkar-e-Toiba promised to give his family a handsome amount of money if he agreed to be a martyr for his own country.

How the entire plan of terror attack was executed is history. There is no use repeating the atrocities committed on the innocent lives in Mumbai. What really remains of that entire episode is this 21 years old terrorist. It was the CCTV at the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus that captured the sight of Ajmal with his AK-47 rifle. While being hot at heels, his accomplice died in the gun battle between the police and them, he was the only surviving terrorist to be taken into police custody. An 11,000 page charge sheet has been filed against him. Initially the Pakistan’s National Security Advisor, Mahmud Ali Durrani denied the fact that Kasab belongs to Pakistan. But after evidences being produced and the continuous pressure from the Indian government, Pakistan Government accepted that he belongs to their nationality. The situation was, indeed, embarrassing for Pakistan. The Chief Justice of India, K.G. Balakrishnan declared that Ajmal will need a lawyer for a fair trial.  But all the Indian lawyers declined the offer to represent him, citing ethical concerns. Ajmal went to the extent of writing a letter to Pakistan High Commissioner asking for legal aid but it was not of much use.

At present, Ajmal is lodged in the ‘anda’ cell block (called so for its circular shape) at Mumbai’s Aurthur Road Jail. He has a number of inmates from D-Company (Dawood Ibrahim). There CCTV in the cell to keep an eye on him from close quarters. Apart from this, there are three unarmed policemen stationed in his cell to ensure that he doesn’t try to take his own life. All his food is tasted by the police before it is given to him to make sure that it is not poisoned.

Identity crisis, failure to get legal support, residing with hard-core criminals, round the clock scrutiny and most importantly living when he was suppose to die……….is that is what fate has decided for Ajmal? Is that the worth of a life in Pakistan? He is absolutely caught between the devil and the sea- neither can he escape from the judicial system of India nor will the LeT spare him his life incase he is released. Pakistan has long been the breeding ground of terrorists. The intensely active militant groups in that country has been known for absorbing young men and brainwashing them with the dogmas of ‘jihad’. These young men are trained to commit such heinous crimes and sacrifice themselves in the name of ‘Allah’. What is astonishing to note is that even after they have been captured, they do not possess any sense of regret in them for what they have done. It is high time that the Pakistan Government should curb the growth of militant groups on their soil and prevent the waste of young lives of their country, otherwise it won’t be long enough when more Ajmals will be dotting behind bars.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment Preview