As yet another World Day Against the Death Penalty is being celebrated on Saturday, Prakash Cariappa, programme co-ordinator,South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) spoke to DNA on why killing of another being is a crime — whether committed by a criminal or the law makers.
Do they, who commit a crime and violate the rights of others, deserve consideration?
The law or the constitution is not meant to punish anyone but to bring about a change. Government cannot commit a crime against me, if I commit a crime, in the name of keeping law and order. The duty of the government is to understand circumstances that make someone a criminal,and provide resolutionand a better circumstance.
Is there a mechanism or process in place, to ensure reformation?
What are the prisons for? The prisons are not just a place to keep criminals. The criminals are sent there for reformation. Sometimes a life sentence is reduced to 14years, as the law thinks that with so much time spent in the prison, the criminal mentality of a person will undergo a change. However, it is unfortunate that these prisons have become places where criminals are made, not reformed.
It is the state’s responsibility to transform the prisons into places where criminals are sent with the conviction that they will be reformed. But, the governments have failed and more and more criminals are becoming habitual offenders.
Why do you think capital punishment is wrong?
No one commits a crime because they like it. Their circumstances make them do it. For instance, a thief may commit a crime because he has not have eaten for days or he can’t buy food because, he is unemployed. In such cases, it is the governments’ responsibility to address issues that make people adopt crime. Killing is wrong even if it is punishment. No one has the right to kill. We tend to forget that these people are humans. They need to be treated fairly.
Is there a need for a change of people’s mindset? If yes, how can it be achieved?
Of course, the society needs to consider criminals as human beings. The usual attitude is that if a person commits a crime, he should be punished. There needs to be a shift in emphasis from punishment to reformation. The theory behind the death sentence is that it will instil fear, and hence, make people stay away from crime. But that isn’t the case — the crime rate isn’t coming down. The focus should be on reforms and on addressing the issues that push people into crime. People should come forward and campaign against death penalties, as they are a violation of human rights.
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