Satyameva Jayate

So then what is the difference between Afzal’s death sentence and others? How come the same commoner hastily puts his/her point about granting mercy to Afzal but demands harshest punishment for other similar criminals, say Santosh Singh? How come media is asking for death sentence for Jessica Lal’s murderers but cries foul when Afzal is meted out due punishment? Despite Dhananjaya’s very poor economic status and photos showing his family members plight, why no one gives ear to his friends and family’s desperate pleas? Did any of us get any petition against all these death sentences, except for Afzal’s? Why dont we see pictures of mothers and relatives of these other criminals in news media?
One very esteemed columnist claims that its because ‘for all other crimes, a face of victim was put forward. Victim was young, beautiful, innocent girl with whom every mother, brother, father, sister can identify and empathize’. However, in case of Afzal, victims were unknown soldiers – people without faces, people who fell while doing their duty (protecting a nation).
Very valid point indeed. Who remembers or even ever heard name of any of those soldiers who died in this despicable plot of Afzal? I tried to lookup on net for pictures and the names of all who laid there life, only in vain. Although Afzal’s brother himself claimed that Afzal is a terrorist, the so called liberals find saving Afzal’s neck worthier than keeping the honor of our fallen heroes. If media is failing in its responsibility to put forward the faces of such heroes, at least we should not fail them too. Least we should do is not support the traitors and trivialize the life and death of our own soldiers.
‘If a nation does not respect its heroes, past or present, a time will come when it will have none!’.