I keep reading about the death row convicts, their last days, their last hour before they are hanged. Recently it was the Memon in India for the Bombay bomb blasts and some time ago it was Mayuran Sukumaran and others in an island in Indonesia where they were executed by a firing squad for drug trafficking. A great deal of news gets generated from relatives, friends, humanitarians, activists, government, former judges and so on.
What I fail to understand is this. Whenever a relative or friend or some one known dies, I see people around me feeling sorry for it. They feel bad that such and such person being so young or so talented or so kind hearted has passed away. Clearly such emotions bury the fact that they themselves will pass away some day. People waiting in the gallows are no different from people outside the jail in their homes. There are several old men and women among us who are waiting to die only by other means than hanging. Some naturally by ageing, some by ailments and some by unforeseen accidents. Many a time the young ones are not spared as well.
It can be argued that the execution of those in the gallows are forced upon them without their will. But if we see, it is the same case for people living in this world, you and me as well where the death is inevitable. No one can escape it. The big difference I see is that for those living outside the gallows, they are allowed to live until death happens to them by some means. While for those waiting to be hanged, they are not allowed to live and death is forced on them.
But one should remember that in both cases death is inevitable for both the parties. Only the time, mode and place can change. If this broader truth is understood by one and all no one would bother to end the life of another. The person waiting to be hanged can stop killing others and the person in the society can stop hanging a convict.
Life is something beautiful that has happened to all of us. Since we all, rich or poor, tall or short, great or average meet the same end, it would be only prudent for us to stop hatred in any form and let others live the same way we live. Or in other words, just mind your own life without affecting others as much as possible. Even if we do not love others, just remain silent and let them live their own lives. That seem to be the sanest way out for humanity.
