Are we alone? Extraterrestrials, aliens, intelligent civilizations and UFO’s yet to be identified by human beings but staring down constantly and menacingly at the earthlings below have considerably robbed man of his peace and serenity. What could exactly be their next likely move is nobody’s guess but the issues though vague and gigantic are also abstract and cumbersome and quite capable of posing a dilemma to human beings on the question of life, universe and its security. Incidentally, at the present juncture man can hardly afford a star war by making good use of its razor sharp beams to annihilate the trespassers, since such a venture could jeopardize the impending plans and programs intended to explore the remaining planets or satellites as the case may be.
Obviously, a priority for earthlings in the immediate context would be to dispatch a census team with expertise in the field of assessing the numbers from far without so much as even revealing the intentions, strategies or the stockpile of available ammunitions. Needless to say the imminent or constant danger of a likely gatecrash by aliens on a peace loving human civilization safely tucked away in a far off planet called Earth looms large in the horizon. Would these extraterrestrials contemplate altering their course away from this dreary planet called Earth or will they shyly keep drifting off and on along far off skies to escape detection by human beings for many more centuries and keep the earthlings panicked for an indefinite period of time?
Weary of a monotonous life on a planet that opens up to a vista of infinite universe having complex dimensions and harboring as much myths and mysteries, unfolding unto an acutely measured finite intelligence, man is restless for innovation, excellence and an angelic perfection. He accepts the myths, mysteries and superficialities revolving around life and the endless domain of an infinite universe over which he alone has a deemed right to move around. Nevertheless, he senses the pinch of having to contain his intense curiosity within the periphery of a solar system which hardly matches the millions of galaxies and similar solar systems staring on to a miniature world consisting of few planets that give company to man’s abode namely the earth!
Held back possibly by human nature and the vastness of this endless universe, man has been creating mysteries for himself on the topic of alien civilization! In his eagerness to clinch that streak of innovation to life and aspects concerning the universe, man looks up for succor from divinity which eludes his imagination. Unable to obtain answers to puzzles engulfing his world of imagination, man resorts to floating rumors regarding alien civilization.
In effect, man is baffled by mysteries of mysterious dimension. Myths centered around UFO’s, extraterrestrial life, aliens, Bigfoot, abominable snowman, Sasquatch, loch ness monster, lake Champlain monster, Piltdown man, Roswell, Area 51, Antigravity aircraft, Crop circles, Bermuda Triangle and Life on Mars.
Wild guesses, imaginations, surmises, theories – they all go with the wind. The world is too large a force and human beings too finite a lot. There is therefore, no way to provide answers to scores of puzzles confronting humanity. Depending wholly or partly on Science alone is a futile bid to satisfy human curiosity. With a finite world of fanciful imaginations raking up much of what could best be left to the creator to provide answers and solutions is, time and again, making man a victim of his own hallucinations. Hence the only path left for human beings to set at naught the idiosyncrasies cascading copiously down in to a fortified citadel of human imaginations and conjectures is through guarded reasoning and divine inspiration!
Curiously though, human beings are apt at giving names, shapes and if required a blue-print as well to trace the course the aliens, extra-terrestrials or UFOs take to survey the earth’s crust. This adds a thrill to a totally monotonous life of adventures on an otherwise barren planet that is earth. Incidentally, depending totally on Science to prove the veracity and movements of ghost elements across the sky or the universe would be asking too much of a depleted archive that man notably possesses.
Obviously much of the theories and mammoth predictions regarding aliens and extraterrestrials hitherto fabricated, haunt man in to evading a direct access to these gigantic illusions for fear of a confrontation with a far more intelligent or better equipped beings. As such, man is prompted to exercise caution on the issue of aliens to avoid any likely potential that could devastate the Earth. Incidentally, much talk under gossip lingers on what might actually exist than less about what has fundamentally transpired through illusions and imaginations.
However, man is determined to unravel the mysteries through gossip and hearsay by keeping the intelligent beings aloof from contaminating the earth with destructive potential that could generate pernicious outcome to earthly beings. However, curiosity apart, man is constrained to adopt a wait and watch approach before plunging headlong in to a furnace of eruptive predicaments.
More than a human touch to the topic of ‘other worlds’ or ‘extraterrestrials’, the subject would need divine inspiration which is unlikely to meet its demand. Who then can provide succor to the intelligentsia of this inferior planet that could quell the overwhelming curiosity which intermittently captivates human beings and their reasoning? The latest trend by people and astrologers around is to explode views in the form of news that predictably enhances the fictional wisdom of both young and old. So came up a new topic to chew upon, namely ‘UFO’s’.
Even after many centuries of research and explorations, man has miserably failed to find even a single form of life within the immediate precincts of the solar system. The latest episodes relayed by the Rover instruments which landed on Mars on 6th August, 2012, being the closest planet from Earth, has dashed all hopes or arguments of finding life or life form on the planet and in its stead merely expect to obtain data on rocks and its sediments. However, up till now none of the probes have revealed the existence of life on the planet or likely inputs which could envisage the existence of life anywhere around the solar system, what to speak of intelligent beings.
Are we alone? This is one gigantic and immediate question which man has been grappling with ever since news and rumors got floated by individuals and groups, both reliable and unreliable, on the question of sightings of unidentified flying objects observed in the sky, to the utmost curiosity of sky-watchers and public alike. Ever since the revelation of UFOs came to be floated during the last couple of decades or so, allegedly by scientists, stargazers and even by curious people from different walks of life, this rare but fascinating phenomenon has captivated the minds of humans to a large extent. There has also been an extraordinary hype created by rumormongers who swear by their own life the veracity and appearance of such intelligent and extra terrestrial beings that are said to be much more advanced than the earthly humans.
All efforts to come in to contact with these alleged space-men or intelligent species have proved futile. Nevertheless, more and more people have started taking considerable interest in the fantasy of these made-to-look-like aliens and their alleged spaceships scanning the skies with a purpose hitherto unknown to their earthly neighbors. Instances of such recordings are, as of today, far less than the quantum of gossip. However, sightings of these mysterious objects date back to, it is so believed, as far back as the beginning of time – to put it more precisely – infinity, though this particular subject received publicity only till recently when newspapers started flashing news and accounts as confirmed by pilots, sky-watchers and space explorers.
Incidentally, despite much gossip and debates that follow rumors regarding UFO’s and extraterrestrials hovering in the skies and atmosphere over the earth, there have been no worthwhile inputs or convincing answers to the recurring question and phenomenon regarding aliens and intelligent civilization in the outer space. So bewildering is the flight of human imagination and stories gathering with gossip and rumors about spaceships reportedly having been spotted over empty locations and far off skies or even alleged soft landings at places away from human habitation that even those who expound the theory of UFOs and their likely intentions set about by beating round the bush, giving reference to mythology, religious beliefs or even fanning the very fire they cannot put out.
It is indeed difficult to fathom the existence of intelligent beings elsewhere in the universe but it would also be peevish on our part to underplay the possibility and existence of such images elsewhere, since humans are yet to traverse the length and breadth of the universe as of now. Moreover, even by admitting, in part, the movement of such extra-terrestrial beings within or without our solar system, it would be too early for one to conclude the exact nature of their intent and purpose, which should, in fact, caution man from going all out after these alien movements.
Due to poor visibility or on account of odd hours, it is believed that human eye or camera has not been able to capture the arrival and activities of these aliens or to detect the physical appearance of the extraterrestrials as alleged or their spaceship for correlating facts with incidents. However, one cannot discount the possibility and existence of such extra-terrestrials or their likely intent at keeping a low profile or maintaining a respectable distance away from earthlings since proximity to either of them is fraught with pernicious consequences.
However, what one might gather from the frequencies of such alien visits and related rumors on the part of earthlings is that either the world needs to stay awake to a new dawn of confrontation with a civilized lot or alternatively attach a wee bit of humor at the failed sequences of alien trips since last many centuries. Incidentally, it has added more monotony to the curious human beings for many decades now than less expenditure and fuel for the ill-planned trips that have resulted in unsuccessful itineraries and aborted attempts by visitors.
Nevertheless, looking to the immensity and vastness of the rumors floated and the intricacies of the hype involved, which in effect surpass human comprehension, one needs to anticipate some sort of a message from either the visitors above or the guests below that could either spin a thriller or allow the humans to gloat over an error to finally set the ill timed judgment on course. It is altogether another matter to be contemplated on the repercussions of a confrontation, whether the message comes from aliens above or the inquisitive human beings down below, the world definitely stands to lose if care is not taken to analyze the tidings so intended to be conveyed by visitors making shadowy depictions time and again.
This becomes all the more essential owing to the frequency of such alien visits or reports so emanating from the general public. Moreover, it is of utmost importance for man to get deeper into these mysterious appearances, if any, to set at naught the truth about these sightings or hearsays on UFOs, so that the world may be acquainted with the exact nature and intent of these mysterious sightings. One may also add that the more one delves into the issue, the more astonishing views of diverse people would confound the situation. One must not also lose sight of the fact that man is yet to reach out to heights and horizons away from the tiny solar system that he is in, so that allowing the imagination to float around or beyond the skies that wrap the solar system can only add a dimension or two to the present state of man’s finiteness. Incidentally, as of now the intermittent headlines in newspapers or gossip by rumor-mongers only go to confuse the situation, so much so media goes agog time and again with full-page write-ups on one or the other of such encounters and the ecstasy dies down after the news is read, more on account of the abstract nature of the news or due to man’s inability to verify such matters.
Whenever such news items appear in newspapers, people sit with their eyes glued to paper reading away passionately with puzzled eyes and avid minds in the hope of collecting as much information on the encounter as possible, but on reaching the bottom of the paper they realize that their knowledge is back to where it was when they first started reading the piece. Still, the interest does not die down and they await another piece of installment on a related topic! Do extra terrestrials really exist?
But sooth – can we really assure ourselves that no any form of life exists anywhere in the space?
UFO sightings date back to as far back as 1561. Despite much rumbling by people and elements humming on the same old topic of UFO sightings time and again, the alleged intelligent beings have not crossed over from space or planets for an interaction with the humans. If the UFO’s are genuine and real, then the aliens surely would have an intent or curiosity to check in to earth atmosphere for acquiring knowledge. In the absence of any conclusive evidence to establishing the existence of aliens as made out from time to time, It would seem a futile bid both on the part of earthlings to keep mounting a eerie suspense in the minds of human beings since it would hardly seem logic for alien or intelligent beings to appear and disappear after traversing for so many centuries all the length and breadth of the universe and after having crossed over from planets outside the solar system merely to view the Earth and return.
These intelligent beings – if they did exist – would surely have developed better techniques and attitude to interact with human beings or earthlings by now – say after more than 100 years to place at the least.
Moreover, aliens – even if they existed – would not wait for indefinite period in order to make contact with live beings across the universe since curiosity is everybody’s butter. However, for last many centuries stories of UFO sightings have remained merely in the minds of people without them making the first move for which they started on a sojourn.
Man talks big but breaths heavy on the impending doom the universe is destined to absorb within its stride. All the record of phenomenal successes and inventions hitherto attained by human beings would lose their steam once the universe gets rocked by the eternal doom that is bound to strike the universe sooner or later. Similar would also be the predicament of the aliens, if any, to have existed and become extinct without having achieved that for which they existed.
Incidentally, man is faking truth in to theories, illusions and imaginations. Theories are being cooked up to attain cheap fame, reputation and popularity. Theories of extraterrestrials are amazingly being blown up to suit imagination of finite beings, many of whom can hardly make both ends meet, but are mercilessly dragged in to gossip and myth at the cost of their own peril.
The greatest myth unfolded ever is the fact that man has survived for millions of years all in one piece, on a planet that hangs precariously suspended from nowhere, despite all odds staring at it. Dangers not from its core alone but from outer space as well. Is it therefore, possible to assume that a more intelligent being and an immensely better & sophisticated civilization make its appearance from nowhere at the very fag end of time and pace?
Has man assumed so much of significance as to ignore the hand of a super human power who would necessarily have wrought all the wonders of creation? Has man achieved the potential to spin theories of creation of an infinite universe of immense dimension and size merely by projecting a fanciful assumption?
Big Bang has all the ingredients of a remote myth and a bluff far more than a figment of imagination, where things are made to happen on its own for no specific reason at all.
Many crucial aspects of the ‘Big Bang’ theory advanced by Scientists and star gazers in order to explain away the formation of sun, stars and planets besides emergence of life on Earth have been debated for ages. Despite various arguments advanced in support of and against the Big Bang theory, there is no conclusive evidence to clear the air of the mysteries haunting human beings. Resultantly, the theory of big bang has been lying subsided with no definite clue to the origin of the universe and life.
Man has become an easy target for Scientists and star gazers to vaguely explain off the myth, mysteries and theories of evolution on earth.
Wild imagination of life and bacteria fossils as traced in the rocks alleged to have fallen from space is too superfluous an imagination and as much wild a claim vis-à-vis the truth of creation and the existence of the Almighty, since the same life forms or organisms could have as well been picked up from the earthen crust or atmosphere as well. Therefore, it is never a conclusive evidence to say that life form may have developed elsewhere on other planets or heavenly bodies and got transmitted to Earth.
Going by the Bible which alone proves to be the inspired text available to mankind, God Himself and personally created man without having recourse to an agent or angel to qualify His creation or add fins to His Omnipotence. If man does occupy a place of extreme proximity to Almighty and His Grace, as is the case, then he would surely have been acquainted with existence of other beings elsewhere in the universe, if not of his own, at least through spontaneity of divine good. This has never happened.
If we do accept Bible as the only Supreme and Holy Text inspired by God Himself, then we ought to also believe that, had there been intelligent or similar beings elsewhere in the universe, then such elements would not have merely kept flying about for amusement, rather they would surely have made contact with earthlings, which have not happened up till now. As such, it is best for human beings to allow the entire concept of UFO’s to rest within the archives of myth and mysteries.
What the present day generation ought to lament about is that, despite man arriving at the threshold of a golden twenty-first century era, he is yet to identify the unidentified flying objects that are taking him farther away from the real element, the sole cause or to put it precisely that common cause which alone has the potential to remove barriers and boundaries that separate man from man, society from society, nation from nation and world from the universe! That common cause which has the wherewithal to impart the much needed unity in diversity, spirituality in times of mistrust and peace at all times. His pace and haste are way apart from the common goal for which the universe came in to existence.
My salute to the Muslim community and their brethren in India or abroad. A salute to all Muslims who were made to bear the brunt of Hindu fanaticism for ages. Salute to those Islamic followers who were forced to distance themselves from a ‘Hindustan’ of Hindu fanatics who were labeled enemies of a nation that failed to accept them as honourable citizens of a free India, a people who have been labeled as extremists (or be it even a slur as “Dawood Gang”) for the convenience of a majority community. My undaunted and everlasting salute to all Muslims of this free nation called ‘Hindustan’!
ReplyDeleteIt needs to be asserted emphatically that Muslims are an integral part constituting a second majority with every right to live a life of peace as enshrined in the Preamble of a Constitution of India that was adopted on 26th January, 1950.
This piece has been written keeping in mind the grave injustice meted out to this section of our brethren who have been very unkindly singled out for heaping canard and allegations, insult and injury or devastation and death. People of India need to hang their heads in shame for such attitude or lack of attitude whereby honest and upright citizens of Muslim origin of a free India have been made to suffer ignominiously through no fault of theirs.
Without providing a narrative of instances of brutality and criminal neglect endured by them, this writer as a true Catholic must assert with all firmness that Muslims have always respected places of worship and never indulged in arson, looting or breaking up of such holy places, be it church or temple etc. But what have they received in return? Scorn and detest of the extreme kind! God forgive a communally charged ‘Hindustan’.
This writer, while whole-heartedly appreciating their grievances, wish to lay down a special and personal appeal that the elite Muslims who distanced themselves from the nation and are living outside the country out of fear or panic, should set aside all of the torture & criminal victimization endured by them at the hands of Hindu fanatics by forsaking their grudges, forgeting the past and fall in line with their brethren by returning to mainstream life and living a life of peace and harmony with the entire Muslim fellowship including other communities with the blessings of the Almighty.
Ajmal Amir Kasab (1987-2012) was nabbed, tried, sentenced and ultimately hanged by India, the law and people of this great country. Immediately as the news of hanging was blazed by the media, the mobs ostensibly belonging to the majority community of India took to streets to celebrate the day and occation namely Wednesday, the 21st November, 2012 as a day of vengeance. What remains to be seen is, will the event forbode an era of peace for the nation or is it going to spark an unprecedented strike by the extremist groups to ignite a daredevely by its neighbor?
ReplyDeleteAs a staunch believer and promoter of “Universal Love and Brotherhood”, this writer is keen to find out what the collective say of Muslims regarding the developments which shocked the nation on 26th-29th November 2008 and its aftermath is, which incident shook the conscience of the nation taking a heavy toll of 164 innocent lives in its wake and the shock of which ended with the euphoria by a mob celebrating the hanging of the lone surviving assassin namely Ajmal Amir Kasab on 21st November, 2012? Like any other convict reacting at being led to the gallows by a heavily fortified security, this misguided youngster too squeezed his resigned mind out of his lips with a parting utterance as he feebly uttered to people around - “It was a mistake – which shall never happen again”.
26/11 was a war. The brutality was an outcome of public menace. In the present instance it came from across the border and the response by India too was befitting the occasion. In a jiffy the attackers were eliminated and one lone assassin namely Amir Ajmal Kasab nabbed. The menace of 26/11 ended there. Kasab became a prisoner of war and the court after a protracted trial gave its verdict, which saw its logical end with Kasab being sent up the scaffolding to pay for his guilt, which he accepted in good part with his final utterance ‘A mistake”. Thanks to Kasab that he gave himself up to the Creator in a apparent show of humility, resigned at what came about and went silenced for ever. R.I.P.
Without being piqued at the reaction by a Section of Pakistanis among which number the ex-Cricketeer Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party exhibited wherein he called for the execution of Sarabjit Singh as a tit for the tat that India occasioned by hanging Kasab, the entire episode makes a mockery of the system and instruments made use of for eliminating evil from the society. Incidentally, law has become a blunt instrument made use of by people and countries for bringing about reform within people and society which more than instilling fear unto people is turning out to be a blunt instrument with no any consequence.
Is it possible to trace where exactly lie the loopholes within law that has enabled a new culture to prop its head under a nomenclature ‘extremism’? The issue needs a turn around especially by India with its 1.3 billion crowd, which celebrated the hanging of Amir Ajmal Kasab and the country which allowed a mob to celebrate their firework over the dead corpse of a youngster who was practically a victim of people and society that was segregated from this very land – India. Do we trace any sense worth the human value in the novel method of celebration adopted by a maddening crowd at someone’s death? There is need to remind one and all that whereas the general tendency around the world but in a particular way in India is to respect a corpse be it even of an enemy – since body is a temple which houses soul of God’s creation till it leaves the body at death – the hooligans who hardly have an animal sense went about celebrating revenge. The oft repeated assertion that ‘should a sinner of morning hours return penitent in the evening ready to atone for sins, he ought not be turned off, but be welcomed as one in to the fold”. Much is said on what ought to be done by people and societies whereas precious little is done to heed the discourse of people and religious.
ReplyDeleteThe hooligans and senseless wrecks of present day society are wholly bogged down with communal hatred and venomous attitude towards other human beings that they would not even hesitate to overstep their limits vis-à-vis other human beings. How would the majority community namely the Hindus respond to a dilemma where they return after cremation of a person and straight away go off to take bath to cleanse themselves of contamination whereas these same might not even wash their hands post disposal off carcasses of animals? What resemblance should one find in such eccentricities of life that breach the very spirituality professed by them within but demonstrate a wild sense of vengeance without? To return with more!
Abolish death penalty – ban execution! Bar barbarity on human beings eternally. whose fate can be decided by the Almighty alone!
ReplyDeleteSour grapes are not sour because they grow on a different soil. Rather, they are sour product having undergone a different metabolism.
So was Amir Ajmal Kasab, a victim of brain-wash by extremist-minds. All the same he was a child of a mother who was remembered by the son even in isolation – “you have informed my mother about it – have you?” That was the final testament for a mother from a youngster who joined a gang merely to supplement the financial resources to see his mother live a life of contentment, be it even at the cost of his own life. Thanks Kasab, your silent death was inspiration to this script – the secret of your mission. R.I.P.
Why is Indian mindset flickering or fluctuating from one graph to the other merely to augment their mean sense of respect for human beings? Is it because the person they take inspiration from namely their Lord Ram failed in his mission to bring Ravan around to his point of view and had to eliminate a whole army of human beings under an excuse of rescuing a female – I repeat – one lone female? Then how is Hindu concept any the different from that of Muslims whereas the latter at least desist from uttering a whole lot of filthy male-female-oriented abuses which clearly demolish spirituality within the society, what to speak of their own temples? The entire concept of meting out justice to human beings, for instances of misdeed or guilt needs to be viewed within the framework of human nature and finiteness.
However, full marks to Congress Party and other secular forces including Law and law enforcing men in uniform who faced the rebellion by a handful of misguided youths from across the border on 26/11 with astuteness and restraint. They not only managed to set the clock back to where it belonged but even nabbed one of the culprits in to the bargain.
But the public who are the ultimate menace of all evils within society or nation need to be condemned outright and a deterrent punishment meted out to hazardous people who unscrupulously mar or maim the society and smooth running of life for people and nation.
SHOULD AFZAL BE SENT TO THE GALLOWS?
ReplyDeleteA question that brought disquiet among the people of J&K as well as in political circles, is now creating a halo around Afzal's head? Is he quilty or not? Let us give a thought.
PANGS OF JUSTICE ……………………..
What is in a name? They call him Mohammad Afzal. He could have been an ‘Amir’, a 'Kalaam' or even an ‘Irfan’. It was not a name that did an osama at the twin towers. Not a name that devastated a 26/11 at Mumbai either. Ironically, even the name that drafted the Indian Constitution is no more. Ambedkar is gone never to return and the entire universe will agree with me on this assertion. This being the case, there is no chance for getting the over half century old Indian Constitution redrafted all over again. Thus, the only alternative left for imparting the so called "social, economic, political including secular justice" is via the people of India and through them the President,who has to decide whether Afzal should pay with death for what Ambedkar failed - excuse me for saying it - failed even to suggest a rider to the preamble of the Indian Constitution. I leave it at that.
A SECOND THOUGHT ………………….
Had Mohammad Afzal been born elsewhere in a Muslim country, he would now have been living happily united with his family, not having to conspire against a country which failed to accept his community as sons of the same soil. However, circumstances made him a victim of his own destiny, perforce having to endure the disgrace of seeing his own fellow Muslims being ill-treated at the hands of his own countrymen, having to account for a crime that perhaps neither he nor his own community committed at Godhra, having to watch people of his community being slain and butchered in Gujarat, having to accept the statusquo of a razed Masjid at Ayodhya, having to watch women and children of his community being discriminated against, to the extent of being made scapegoat for any and all ill-doings of some reckless stray elements taking advantage of the vulnerability of Indian culture, to have been destined to live a life of horror and panic in a country that is heaping insult over injustice on minorities as in his case, and last but not the least, having to suffer the ignominy of being denied an opportunity to any of the minorities in India to be elevated to the post of a Prime Minister, a post monopolized by the Hindus constituting a majority in his own country through high-handed maneuvering. What can such a hapless victim of similar circumstances stake his claim for but the noose, which the communal party of the nation is aching to hand it over to him on a platter! …………………..
A HALF DEMOCRACY THAT IS INDIA …………………….
It is an irrefutable fact that the Indian Constitution germinated on a Hindu land, under the auspices of a Hindu law for the government of a Hindu majority, advocating a Hindu 'ISM' which deprives a human being (read Mohammad Afzal) from getting a Muslim-oriented justice. No body can refute this ground reality over which the country's fraternity rests. In the interest of a full-fledged and conspicuously transparent democracy (as Pandit put it - "of the people, by the people and for the people) a mandatory clause allowing the inclusion of a panel of judges constituted from among the community to which the accused belong, ought to find its way in to the Indian Constitution. In the absence of such a provision, the Indian Constitution would appear like an autocratic Hindu-oriented doctrine.
As a matter of fact, hitherto no community whether from the Muslim, Christian, Budhist or any of the faithful from the divergent religions coexisting in India, have ever dared to demand the inclusion of this basic right so benevolently overlooked in the Indian Constitution. Here lies the basic right that Afzal and his community, forming an integral segment of Indian population, have been divested with. Where then is the essence of democracy which should give equal opportunity and secular justice to communities of other category? How can a gagged citizen exert his right in an environment that hardly allows him to worship in peace? Is democracy itself the noose whereby one has to refrain from making a say? I leave it at that. ………………..
ReplyDeletePARTING JUSTICE …………………
I would like to remind those who are vehemently gesticulating for his death that, ever since he was convicted he is on record having sought a 'fair trial' as a final wish. All through the drama of court proceedings, he has been silently awaiting the ultimate that is to befall on him and his family. Law has caught up with him, and he knows for sure that there is no escape route but to follow the one only way where no one would dare to set foot on. Ever since his conviction, he has been a resigned man to the extent of being convinced that justice will be loathe in coming to his aid but for a last minute change of mind here or there. Recent developments beginning with his conviction, fixation of date for his execution followed by an appeal for mercy forwarded by his kin to the President of India and the public outcry to save him from the gallows, has given a respite to Afzal to look forward to some change of heart by the President of India, who is known to be a person who will not compromise on principles. Incidentally, things are looking up with the date of execution slated for 20th October having been put off. However, the real Afzal, who must be convinced that what he did was grave and worthy of condemnation, must be passing time behind bars counting days in his cell. Surely, once convicted, he must have got it firmly in his mind that time is ebbing out of his personal history.
Afzal is as much a human being as those very criminals who mercilessly butchered thousands of his community members in Gujarat but are roaming scot free today, thanks to political heavyweights and diabolical hoodlums with the arm of law firmly in the grip of their sympathizers. Naming them is like getting the hands soiled by the filth of their own criminal activities. Afzal has been steadfast in his demand for a fair trial. All eyes are now on the President of India to weigh the odds and cast his mind on the situation. Who can say that a mercy granted to Afzal allowing him to live on will not set his mind in motion to soothe the minds of his own Muslim brethren to shun the path of violence and bring those who have strayed away back in to the one fold of a united nation. The well wishers of Afzal, on their part, anxiously await a gesture of goodwill from the President so as to allow a hapless victim of circumstances to come out of his confusion and consternation.
Now back to where we started - Is he guilty or not? Since the Muslim community has had no hand in the verdict, I would have to negate - and vehemently so - from giving a verdict of the like that has come to pass. Nothing more to add!