Musings on India, the law, and policy
Posted in Terrorism on May 30th, 2011
When one thinks about a terrorist attack, the usual picture that pops up in ones mind is that of bombs exploding and a bunch of guys running around in guns creating a carnage. What about new forms of terrorists threats ? Cyber terrorism has been around for quite sometime but it rarely comes on the [...]
Posted in Court, Rule of Law, Terrorism on Feb 21st, 2011
By now it should not come as news to all of us that the Bombay High Court has upheld the death sentence on Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist caught in the Mumbai attacks in 26/11. The Home Minister has hailed this verdict as a victory to the rule of law and the Indian Legal system. May [...]
Posted in Democracy, Rule of Law, Terrorism, Uncategorized on Feb 18th, 2011
The “Anti Nationals” : Review of the Human Rights Watch report on arbitrary detention and torture of terrorism suspects in India Just a few days ago, British Prime Minister David Cameron made a startling speech at the Munich Conference stating that the passing acknowledgment of ‘state multiculturalism’ and policy of tolerance was one of the [...]
Posted in Constitution, Human Rights, Terrorism on May 20th, 2010
As the Delhi government reaffirmed its stance on Afzal Guru’s death penalty by returning his file to the Lieutenant Governor, lawyers and political commentators are once again faced with that old and difficult question: is the death penalty justified? This comes quickly in the wake of the Bombay trial court condemning 26/11-prime accused, Ajmal Kasab, [...]
Posted in Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, india, Terrorism on Dec 23rd, 2009
I was in Jammu and Kashmir recently, to witness a two-day dialogue on issues of autonomy, sectarian violence and Indo-Pak relations vis-a-vis the Kashmir Valley. To be naively frank, the complexities on the ground were mind-boggling to me. Ensconced in ivory towers, myths have been created by the self and the other about the situation [...]
Posted in Court, Democracy, Rights, Rule of Law, Terrorism on Nov 17th, 2009
This is a court of law, young man, not a court of justice – Oliver Wendell Holmes When Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other self-confessed perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks stand trial in the Southern District Court of New York next year, something about the law that’s unique to the justice system in such high-profile, [...]