Within a few minutes, 4 hardened
rapists and heartless murderers were hanged in New Delhi at dawn on 20th
of this month. In Kuwait where I worked
for a long time and even witnessed one
hanging of a Pakistani national, a Barber by profession, killed his compatriot,
cut his body into pieces and burried it in his own shop only. I will come back on this later. This was
somewhere in 1978. Then there was
another hanging about which I took keen interest, one of the persons involved
in this crime, i.e. the robbery of Exchange Shop from where the Irani owner of
that Exchange Company was killed. When
the gang of Thais (people from Thailand) were caught, the judgement was
delivered speedily and the culprits were hanged. One of the culprits who was sent to the
gallows was very strong physically as back at home in Thailand he was a body
builder and it took him 7 long minutes to breathe his last, for a normal person
it takes 3 – 4 minutes to die. According
to all the doctors and experts monitoring his hanging from close range as
officials said that it took so long because he was very strong physically.
While Zulficar Ali Bhutto when he was hanged in 1979 by the
General Gia’s government by framing false charges against him and also by bending
the laws and rules to facilitate him to
send Bhutto to the gallows. When Bhutto came to power thru fair election he
occupied the chair of Pakistan’s premiership.
When he became the Prime Minister, Bhutto by bending some rules elevated
Gen. Zia to the top ranking General of course to the dissatisfaction of all the
ranking generals who were waiting for their promotion. But Bhutto did not care for their
dissatisfaction and went ahead with his plans of raising General Zia to the
pedestal. However, Gen. Zia like a Judas
who betrayed Jesus in the same manner Gen. Zia betrayed Bhutto with a Judas
Kiss, brought a coup in Pakistan by overthrowing Bhutto and sending him to the
prison languishing him to rot there till he was hanged. While he was
languishing in zail where he could not stand up because the height of his
prison cell was short and neither he could sleep well by keeping his legs
straight as the length of his cell too was short.
In view of this Bhutto while sitting he was sitting on the
ground folding both his legs bent like a Hindu “Bott” and because of the short
height of his Cell he was never standing in his Cell. Hence, while sleeping on
the floor such a majestic man who was till recently the pride of Islamic world
in the World forum turned like a beggar. Then he wrote a book in his prison
cell by holding the note pad on his tigh by sitting on the floor and smuggled
the manuscripts to one of his friends in Bombay who got it published in India,
the title of this book is “IF I AM ASSASSINATED” where he said “My sons - Bhuttos
both the sons (Shanawaz and Murtaza) will not be my sons, they will be Bastards
if they don’t take the revenge and shed the blood of those who try to shed mine. Who are my sons? They are Shanawaz and Murtaza and all the
sons of Pakistan are my sons.
Incidentally, as per the writings of Bhutto in his book, Gen.
Zia never enjoyed a peace till he died in a Plane crash while serving Pakistan.
Now coming back to Bhutto’s hanging, the hangman came early in the morning on
the day of his hanging in his cell and called him thus ‘Bhuttosab, chalo, apka
time aya” and then Bhutto went to the gallows smoothly without creating any
obstacles and when his Christian hangman tied the rope around his neck, within
3 minutes he breathed his last. This
hangman as it was said in some quarters at that time , was itentionally brought
by Gen. Zia to play his mischief against
Christian community who loved Bhutto. Zen Zia’s intention by bringing a Christian
hangman Tara Masieh was to create a discord between Bhuttos and Christians of
Pakistan.
When Saddam Hussein was arrested in Iraq and after conducting his trial
for creating disrder not only in Iraq but almost all around the globe, he was
sentenced for gallows. The judge who was conducting his trial in the court was
much younger in age as compared to Saddam Hussein’s and when Saddam Hussein
once got irritated on him, he said to that judge “ hey boy, what are you talking?”
Then when he was brought for hanging and
when the rope the hangman tied around Saddam Hussein’s neck was tight, Saddam
in his raised voice said, Hey hangman, make it lose because I find it too
tight”.
Kumar was the first criminal hanged in Goa somewhere in 1978
for the crimes he committed on mother and her young child, he killed both of
them when the husband of the lady was out of Goa for a few days, Kumar was a
Keralite working as domestic servant at the house of those whom he murdered. He
was caught and in three years time he was hanged at Aguada outside the prison
premises where the specially built gallows was erected. In fact overwhelming majority of Goans were
against this sentence executing in Goa, even the then Bishop of Goa requested
the Shashikala government to plead with the government of India thru Mercy petition to commute the sentence but Shashikala
refused and on top of it she insulted Bishop aying that “Bishop made a big show
by talking good of Kumar”.
Coming back to Kumar a Malyali whose real name is PETER was the first person to die on the gallows. When
he was asked what was his last wish, he replied by giving a speech which was
recorded on the Tape Recorder for all the prisoners to change their behaviour
and become good. And finally he said his
body to be given to GMC for the research.
In Saudi Arabia they don’t hang but behead the criminals. There was one criminal whom the security was
taking for the beheading. However, before reaching the last spot, this
man got heart attack and he collapsed but not died necessitating to take him to
the hospital. While on the way the
beheading man was next to him. The
criminal opening his eyes saw the person who was to behead him next to him and
softly and pitiably asked him this question, “would you leave me now atleast,
no?” Listening this, the beheading man said his heart melted with pity and this
was first such an experience of his otherwise he was very hard hearted man who
used to take pleasure in doing his job.
Coming back to the hanging of a Pakistani Barber in 1968 in Kuwait, there
were nearly a thousand Pakistani people working in Kuwait came to see his
hanging. The moment he falls and hangs
to the rope, all the gathered Pakistani run to the main door to save him
inspite of tight security who inspite of having guns did not fire a single shot
and did not provoke Pakistanis from creating a riot but they pushed them back
and immediately closed the main gate door.
Francis Araujo was in Kuwait, he was a young man of Kalafura
Goa. This incident happened somewhere in
late eighties, in Kuwait. He entered Public Transport Bus, the Bus Conductor an
Egyptian issued him the ticket for which Araujo pays him in all small
coins. Seeing these small coins the
Conductor gets angry and throws back the same coins on Araujo’s face. Araujo
felt insultrd and argued with the Conductor but meantime the Bus Driver a
Turkish joined the Conductor and both of them beat Araujo too much and threw
him out of the bus on the road side.
Araujo was not only physically hurt but more than that his
personal ego was hurt and then and there he decided to take heavy revenge of
those both the Muslim Arabs the Bus Conductor from Egypt and the Bus Driver
from Turkey. Araujo returned back home, took a knife and returned back to the
same place/Bus Stop where he was assaulted, for the same Bus to return. When the Bus came and stopped at that Bus Stop,
Francis entered the Bus and first stabbed to death the Bus Conductor followed
by the Driver. In the ensuing judicial process, Francis Araujo was sentenced
for the death by hanging.
When the time came for the hanging of Francis Araujo, Fr.
Pinto from Catholic Church as per the system went to him with the holy
communion etc., and prayed over hīm and told him to ask Jesus Christ to give
him courage to bear the gallows and he died on the gallows withhout creating
any disturbance to the security at the laast minute. We all joined together and conducted his
funeral in Kuwait but as per the Security instruction we were not allowed to
open his coffin in
the Church nor in the Cemetary.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
