Capital Punishment

 What is Capital Punishment?

 Capital Punishment is also known as “Death Penalty”. These terms are used interchangeably.  It is the execution of  an offender as a punishment for a crime. 

There are various types in which Capital Punishment can be undertaken. Such as hanging a person to death, lethal injection, electrocution etc. In India, the most popular being hanging a person. But based on humane and moral grounds, this subject holds too many controversies not only at national level but on a foreign and global platform too.

History of Capital Punishment:-

Plenty of records of various civilizations and era’s have shown and denoted death penalty as a part of their justice system. The system of prison was evolved to keep people in confinement who had done wrong or who were harmful to the society for a stipulated period of time. The principal motive behind confining a person in prison was to give them a chance to reform and change themselves. And it worked with minor offences like robbery, theft etc. A question arises when there is a grave and heinous offence which is inhumane and brutal like rape, murder, acid attack, murder, mass killing, etc. So, the contentious part is the gruesomeness and ghastliness of the act, which is the reason for deciding the execution.

In the 20th century, millions of people died during wars between nation or states. In this raging and aggressive period, military organizations practiced capital punishment to maintain discipline. It was practiced widely in many religious beliefs.

Arguments:-

Most people around the world feel that capital punishment for crimes such as rape, murder, mass killing, etc should not be death penalty but some kind of reformative or preventive type of punishment because everyone should be given a second chance and a death penalty cannot reform a criminal.

At the same time, a criminal doesn’t have the right to take away or obliterate someone’s life to such an extent where they think they are good as dead. The offenders of such heinous crimes, when put to jail does not do justice to the graveness and grimness of the crime and make people around the world realize how easy going the judiciary system is regarding a person who has for no reason taken  and obliterated someone else’s life. The person who has been murdered, acid attacked, raped can’t be brought back to life. They can’t be healed. Then the principle question is do the people who carry such heinous crimes be saved or be mercied upon. Confining them to prison might not put enough deter in the minds of other criminals and this can encourage them to commit more such crimes knowing that there is not enough punishment out there. Furthermore, there is no solid proof that if capital punishment is not imposed and the criminal is given time to reform himself/herself he is going to be better version of himself or he will remain the same.

 Although many people think capital punishment as violation of rights under article 21 of the constitution, the practice is still continued in many countries. This puts an idea in people’s mind until what extent the law can go and what is it capable of doing and the criminal can never escape from the punishment no matter who he/she is.

Capital Punishment in India:-

             In India, heinous crimes such as rape is the fourth most common crime against women in India. According to National Crime Records Bureau, there is an average of 88 cases daily. India’s homicide rate is still alarming. In fact, murders and not terrorism makes India a very dangerous country. Furthermore, Acid attack is at an all time increasing rate in India with 250-300 reported incidents every year. At least one case occurs everyday. In India, the major problem is not lack of laws, the main problem is implementation.

In India deterrent form of punishment must be applied. Capital punishment is not a need it is a necessity to decrease the rate and one day hopefully to put an end to such henious crimes.