> The SC has also issued a public statement that they have the right to > review a Presidential pardon, should one be forthcoming.
Just to clarify this - the Supreme Court does not issue "public statements". I haven't read their judgment but I am assuming this was a comment made in passing in the judgment when discussing the powers of the Supreme Court in relation to a pardon. The point being that saying it is a "public statement" implies that the Supreme Court judges have made up their minds to have this guy executed and they are going to achieve that one way or the other..that is simply not true. I have worked in the Supreme Court for a Judge, and met many more (including Judges who have awarded death penalties, although I was not personally involved in any such case) and I can say I have a lot of respect for the incredible way they handle a very difficult job. They certainly don't take decisions lightly, not without agonizing over it and reaching a conclusion. You might well disagree with their decision, and you may be right - no one is perfect. But they are not on a vendetta. Oh, and I agree with Cheeni completely - a debate on the death penalty is worth having, but unless there is some doubt about his guilt (and there does appear to be, based on what you've written, Kiran) this is totally the wrong case to push for death penalty reform. > I first heard the phrase "India Occupied Kashmir" from a resident of > Jammu. It's a sentiment I've heard repeatedly from people who hail > from the region, or who've spent time there. I can see how they feel that way - that's very sad. However, I will note that Kashmir has no (economic) future as an independent country - no food security and not much to trade (just tourism won't cut it). It will effectively end up as the client state of either India or Pakistan (or maybe China) anyway - so I'm not sure I see the point of independence (except possibly to stop the drain on the Indian GDP). And that's apart from all the other arguments in favour of Kashmir staying part of India.. Badri
