His-story

It sure is a time for celebrating Kasab’s death sentence, though the implementation looks to be way ahead in the time machine. It also definitely is a verdict any judicial body of a sane civilization that respects humanity would give. But, who knows! With the mercy petitions, may be by the time he gets executed (will he?), the world might end as well! Yes. It is a crime to kill other human beings. Killing of the innocent – History has mega-tons of stories on this. The twin nuclear bombings on Hiroshima & Nagasaki during World War ll, where people were literally burnt on a clear morning with the heat radiations ripping their skin and flesh off, within a fraction of a second, miles away from the epicenter. Jallianwallah Bagh massacre – innocent Indians fighting non-violently for a cause were fired at by General Dyre (that too by sealing the area without leaving anyone, not even women and children to escape). Africans, were made slaves and brought to work in plantations in South America and were similarly shipped across to other continents, mainly Europe. As I read somewhere, they were chained to form a line, made to walk miles (killed then and there if one of them got tired or fainted under the scorching sun) and transported in what were designated to be slave ships. They were put in a particular enclosure in the ship – naked - men and women alike, with no escape from all the remnants a human being leaves at the end of the day (within the same enclosure in the ship) – This lead to epidemic and killed several. On reaching the destination, they would parade naked and the lords would buy the ones that interested them. The Lords’ rank in the society would be set based on the number of slaves they owned. Only after the slaves fought back in unison were some reformations brought in locally. The Inca king was murdered in the capitol square by the Spanish explorer Pizzaro in 1533 AD. Spain, back then, was shattered by drought, natural calamities and was also deprived of riches, as a result of which a born-in-poor-family, hungry-for-power Francisco Pizzaro sought after the much heard riches in the land of the Incas. Incas’ riches and innocence were exploited and was shipped to their home country for the first time by Pizzaro (similar to Vasco DaGama’s ’discovery’ of India). The Incas never for centuries knew the existence of wheel. They built their civilization site as we it see today by commuting to places on foot, even built the renowned Machu Pichu by travelling tough paths and steep ranges on foot! Their Engineering skills were simply amazing to exist in that era! How brilliant! How innovative to cultivate with Terrace farming! And sheer hard-work to do so even without iron/alloyed tools for digging up the steps to form terraces, without any contact with the outside world! (They mostly used sharpened wooden ends). Added to that, no wheels to transport themselves or materials! Wheel is the best invention and fire - the best discovery in the history of mankind till date if you ask me. Gold was the main material in use – for ornamental purpose; the mummies were fitted with gold sheets molded to form Masks. The Spanish described the land to be a land of riches, which was the sole motivation for the conquest of the Incas. The Spanish invasion and the capture of the Inca King, Atahualpa (who was considered to be a descendent of the Sun – their god, by its subjects (Inca civilians)) led to the civilians’ and the administration’s exploitation, who were not well–advanced in war technology when compared to the Spanish. Thousands who rebelled against Spanish’s forced conversion to Christianity were killed. All this in turn led to the destruction of a great civilization. The killings go on either in the name of religion or for land. The Kalinga war by Ashoka and the Mughals‘ exploitation are more examples for land. Europe’s domination and formation of colonies is another. Each era has had its set of sources and elements which caused evitable killings. Ours is terrorism.

Back to Kasab’s deeds - It is a sin which can gain no redemption ever - yes. Barging into the political boundary of another country and showering bullets on the unaware, innocent and its least expecting natives is no doubt brutal. We all live in tomorrow’s History. What we witness today will be probably read, analyzed and even blogged by the next generation (like I am doing now) to be history. All these have been happening since the time civilizations across the world took birth – only called by different names. A couple of months ago, there was a cover page article on the miseries and the circumstances that people who form terrorists and their family are surrounded in. As a friend of mine always says – Everyone is a product of his environment. Kasab would definitely not be the same had he been brought up in a conservative South Indian family of the same caste as his or a nomad in the Austrian ranges! The environment and inculcation of values, urge to earn money to look after an over-flowing family, poverty, resilience to other’s ideas and fickle-minded approach all could possibly be the reasons. . If you had asked me a couple of days after 26/11, I would be fuming and probably said he deserves to be shot in the head - immediately! But now, I actually feel a little sad for the guy. He is a person with no formal education. No knowledge of the outside world during his upbringing. Somewhere in his hometown, his mother may be awaiting his return, like a Kashmiri mother awaits her son, with no clue on his terrorist links and whereabouts (not even if he is dead or alive). A terrorist’s wife will not even know if her husband is alive or dead. The article mentioned a woman who married for the second time after her husband (alleged terrorist) did not return, with much opposition from her first in-law’s family. It also illustrated a dozen more women who are still awaiting the return of their better-half and that their husband’s memories are enough to emotionally spend this life. Small children are given heavy guns, forced into terrorism and trained. How well is a small child of 10 or 11 years old, without (or even with) schooling, supposed to judge what is right and what is not! The root cause is elsewhere. The master-minds behind all these are elsewhere – those people have all the education necessary and beyond. They may be the known terrorist associations or the governments themselves! (The 9/11 was claimed to be a conspiracy by the US government itself). Matters and people to be revealed will not be revealed, because of the power vested in their hands. Kasab and his associates formed only a tool and means of achieving what was to be achieved by a much elated terrorist or terror-supporting body’s conspiracy. Like Morgan Freeman tells in The Shawshank Redemption – “The guy who committed the crime then, was a stupid boy, who didn’t know what the outside world was..But, there is no way this old man can go explain that boy..the ways of the world”. May be Kasab is feeling the same or would probably feel the same if left to grow old. But, in vain. What has been done, cannot be undone.