It is fascinating how evolved and mature your thinking can be in hindsight.
When Pakistani gunmen laid siege to Bombay five years ago, most of us were baffled, furious.
Above all, we were sad.
After all, it was Bombay.
It was Bombay again.
The city epitomizes our country.
We were all stunned at what these militants had dared to do.
Among others, it was an attack on Taj Mahal Palace Hotel which stands with unmatched majesty right beside the Gateway of India.
It was a dent on India's pride, a mockery of all our efforts to improve relations with our two-faced neighbor.
Naturally, when Kasab was captured by the Mumbai Police, we wanted to see the end of him.
There were voices even for a Saddam Hussein pioneered public execution.
Maybe it was all too extreme.
But it was in the spur of that ignominious moment.
When Kasab was locked up in a high security prison and his trial kept getting delayed, these voices came circling back.
Pakistan's resolute defiance and denial did little to alleviate this pain.
There were moans and groans when the law of our land appointed a public prosecution-er of utmost repute to defend Kasab in the court.
Even I was a little baffled.
Why does a merciless killer like Kasab ought to be defended? Why does he even deserve a fair trial? Why does he even deserve to be heard for that matter? But when you look back at things in hindsight, it makes you appreciate the fairness of India's judiciary system.
We did what our law says.
We gave this young boy a chance to defend himself.
A chance to repent.
That we paused for a moment to consider that he was another victim of brainwash is our biggest victory.
As it turned out, Ajmal Kasab never showed an iota of remorse.
But that was his sickness and our moral victory.
When the Supreme Court upheld Ajmal Kasab's death sentence on August 29, I was a happy man.
I was happy not because one of 26/11 perpetrator was sentenced to death.
I was happy because we chose to be rational and law abiding in a matter as sensitive as 26/11.
That has been the biggest victory of this trial.
The death sentence is just the right verdict at the end of a fair trial.
India might not be perfect.
We have more 'billion dollar' open cases of corruption and scams than medals in Olympics.
We want to be a super power and yet all we really are is super poor.
Our infrastructure is shaky, our economy is fragile.
Our politicians squabble like children.
Our farmers still commit suicide because we are too dependent on the monsoon.
The list of woes can go on and on.
All the cases of multi million dollar scams expose India's dark side.
But the case of Ajmal Kasab getting a fair trial shows the positive side.
We might be in a lot of trouble with our economy and corruption but there is still a semblance of sanity left.
Till that day, we will survive.
This is what keeps India alive against all odds, against all predictions.
When Pakistani gunmen laid siege to Bombay five years ago, most of us were baffled, furious.
Above all, we were sad.
After all, it was Bombay.
It was Bombay again.
The city epitomizes our country.
We were all stunned at what these militants had dared to do.
Among others, it was an attack on Taj Mahal Palace Hotel which stands with unmatched majesty right beside the Gateway of India.
It was a dent on India's pride, a mockery of all our efforts to improve relations with our two-faced neighbor.
Naturally, when Kasab was captured by the Mumbai Police, we wanted to see the end of him.
There were voices even for a Saddam Hussein pioneered public execution.
Maybe it was all too extreme.
But it was in the spur of that ignominious moment.
When Kasab was locked up in a high security prison and his trial kept getting delayed, these voices came circling back.
Pakistan's resolute defiance and denial did little to alleviate this pain.
There were moans and groans when the law of our land appointed a public prosecution-er of utmost repute to defend Kasab in the court.
Even I was a little baffled.
Why does a merciless killer like Kasab ought to be defended? Why does he even deserve a fair trial? Why does he even deserve to be heard for that matter? But when you look back at things in hindsight, it makes you appreciate the fairness of India's judiciary system.
We did what our law says.
We gave this young boy a chance to defend himself.
A chance to repent.
That we paused for a moment to consider that he was another victim of brainwash is our biggest victory.
As it turned out, Ajmal Kasab never showed an iota of remorse.
But that was his sickness and our moral victory.
When the Supreme Court upheld Ajmal Kasab's death sentence on August 29, I was a happy man.
I was happy not because one of 26/11 perpetrator was sentenced to death.
I was happy because we chose to be rational and law abiding in a matter as sensitive as 26/11.
That has been the biggest victory of this trial.
The death sentence is just the right verdict at the end of a fair trial.
India might not be perfect.
We have more 'billion dollar' open cases of corruption and scams than medals in Olympics.
We want to be a super power and yet all we really are is super poor.
Our infrastructure is shaky, our economy is fragile.
Our politicians squabble like children.
Our farmers still commit suicide because we are too dependent on the monsoon.
The list of woes can go on and on.
All the cases of multi million dollar scams expose India's dark side.
But the case of Ajmal Kasab getting a fair trial shows the positive side.
We might be in a lot of trouble with our economy and corruption but there is still a semblance of sanity left.
Till that day, we will survive.
This is what keeps India alive against all odds, against all predictions.