Official from UP has filed several pleas in Top Court; his latest is to make hanging less painful. Also wants National Bird and Animal to be replaced
Official from UP has filed several pleas in Top Court; his latest is to make hanging less painful. Also wants National Bird and Animal to be replaced
Ashok Kumar Walia, a senior clerk in the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, has spent a lifetime filing petitions in courts. In fact, in the last couple of years, Walia has filed two mercy petitions in the Supreme Court to 'remove cruelty from society'. While the first petition was against killing of animals for human consumption, the second was a plea of leniency for criminals who are hanged.
Petitions rejectedThe Supreme Court rejected both the petitions even without a single hearing in each case. But Walia is undeterred. "My petitions were aimed at removing cruelty from society. Hanging is cruel and a very painful way of killing a human being. It is in violation of the country's law, which says even hardened criminals should not be subjected to cruelty," Walia said, while talking to MiD DAY from his native town Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Lethal injectionsu00a0Walia's latest petition was tabled a fortnight ago before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan. Walia had demanded that hanging of criminals should either be replaced by lethal injections or the criminals should be made unconscious before they are taken to the gallows. The Supreme Court rejected his petition saying the decision was out of its jurisdiction. The Court advised Walia to approach the ministry that takes decisions on such matters.
A law graduate and a member of Maneka Gandhi's organisation People for Animal Walia doesn't seem to be publicity-hungry. In fact he discourages the use of his photograph to further his cause. "For the last 20 years I have devoted my life towards these causes. We are a peaceful society but acts like killing animals and hanging criminals are a blot on us. One day we will wake up to these issues," he said.
Walia claims he has been 'fasting' since 2006 and has not eaten "any kind of food grain" ever since.u00a0 "This is my way of protesting. I drink only liquids and eat only vegetables," he said.
Relentless effortsWalia had filed his petition to abolish animal slaughter in 2007. "These are contagious issues and no court wants to deal with it. Our Constitution says every citizen must fulfill his responsibility by saving the lives of cattle but even then slaughter homes are running publicly," he said.
An undaunted Walia is planning more such petitions, including one to challenge the status of our National Bird and Animal.
"The Indian National Animal tiger and National Bird peacock are both carnivorous. Cow and parrot must replace them. Besides, these animals are useful as well. The parrot is definitely more beautiful than the peacock," he said.
