Kasab was once an innocent child like my son: Ashish Chowdhry

Kasab was once an innocent child like my son: Ashish Chowdhry

    Actor Ashish Chowdhry, who lost his sister and brother-in-law in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, tells Bombay Times why Kasab’s hanging cannot give him closure…
    While many are rejoicing, Ashish states, “I cannot rejoice Kasab’s death. I don't see any point in rejoicing anybody’s death. Justice is done to a small part of a huge problem. I’m a father, I don’t want to set that as an example for my children. I will rejoice when killing in the name of God stops. Kasab was once an innocent child, like my son. Unfortunately, he was born around wrong people and wrong teachings. He was taught to hate. No one’s born bad. He didn’t plan his future. He was told, if he kills people, God will be happy! He didn’t have an easy life.
    I’m far more responsible today. I’m not an atheist and used to visit Shirdi very often with my sister, but since she lost her life in the name of God, I feel it’s very selfish to go to a temple.
    These fanatics who teach people to kill in the name of God must be stopped. My sister or jiju are not smiling today. If one Kasab is hung after four years, hundreds are being produced in those many years. I feel sad for such children.
    I don’t hate Pakistan either. I’ve been to Pakistan and it's like any other country. Every country has its set of issues. You can’t generalise that everybody is bad.
    Kasab’s death is not a closure for me. Closure for me will be when a group of people come together and say God is one.
    It doesn’t make any difference, if his body is sent to Pakistan or not. Give it to his family. I am not defending him or justifying what he did, his death is however, not the be-all and end-all.
    Achieving harmony and peace may sound unrealistic, but we should not stop trying.”

Ashish Chowdhry

Ashish Chowdhry