7 mercy petitions rejected in 7 months, is Pranab Mukherjee the new Iron Man of Indian politics?

New Delhi, Feb 16: When Pranab Mukherjee took over as President of India, it was widely expected that he will at least make a difference on matters that require Rashtrapati Bhawan's urgent intervention.The expectation was higher because after a long time, a full time politician who was aware of public sentiments had taken over the reins of Rashtrapati Bhawan. And it will not be wrong to say that Pranab Mukherjee has come true to expectations as far as matters of national security are concerned.The hanging of Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab in quick succession has initiated a new debate in the country. Has the government, all of a sudden, decided that enough is enough and the country cannot be allowed to be seen as a soft state any longer? Or it is just the political compulsions that have forced the government to portray a tough image before 2014 elections?Political commentators believe that the likely projection of Narendra Modi as BJP's PM candidate has made the government jittery and the government has decided not to concede any point to Modi over matters of national security and that the sudden hanging of both Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru after inordinate delay is an act purely aimed at image make-over just before general elections.But the real story goes beyond the routine conspiracy theories and acts of political expediencies and machinations. One aspect that has not been adequately underlined is the pro-active role played by the President Pranab Mukherjee.The President has been quite fast in disposing of mercy petitions. In last seven months, the President has ordered death penalty for seven convicts and that's nothing short of a record. In fact, it's more than what any President did in last 15 years. In addition to Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru, Pranab has also rejected mercy pleas of four associates of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan. All the four were sentenced to death in a 1993 landmine blast case.Pranab had also rejected the mercy petition of Saibanna Ningappa Natikar on 4 January, early this year.The question is – is Pranab Mukherjee turning out to be the new iron-man of Indian politics? A close look at his political journey will make the answer clear. He is known to have a mind of his own. There was a time when he revolted against Rajiv Gandhi as he considered himself to be the true heir to Indira Gandhi's legacy. His revolt made him suspicious in the eyes of Nehru-Gandhi family. In his entire career, Pranab held the charge of all ministries except the most sensitive home ministry because the family did not trust him beyond a point. Why because he has his own strong views on most of the issues.Pranab Mukherjee knows it very well that the ‘soft state' image of the country has done more harm than the good and it's high time that clear message is sent out to those who have sinister designs in their minds against India. SincePranab is playing the last innings of his political career; he is no longer bothered about the political costs involved with such decisions.It should be recalled that When Pranab Mukherjee visited Bal Thackeray, late supremo of Shiv Sena, as part of his presidential election campaign, he had responded positively to Thackeray's demand for early hanging of Ajmal Kasab, the 26/11 convict. It was an indicator that Pranab Mukherjee ,too, shared strong views on matter relating to terrorism in India. Very rarely Indian Presidents hog the limelight unless political uncertainty is looming over the horizon. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, was an exception as he always made it a point to register his disagreement whenever he differed with the government over key policy decisions. After him, all other Presidents proved to be mere rubber stamps. It seems Pranab Mukherjee is determined to change all this and has made up his mind about leaving his imprint behind as a tough and no-nonsense president.As far as the common man is concerned, this is a welcome development. Self-styled intellectuals and human rights activists are too concerned about the rights of the terrorists and criminals but who will speak for the common man, the victim. The governments of the day are taking years and years in disposing mercy petition primarily on political considerations and vote bank compulsions. Who should the common man look at? Pranab Mukherjee has emerged as the new hope for those who believe in tackling terrorism and other heinous crimes with an iron-hand. He is the new hope for those who believe in strict implementation of the rule of the law. Well done, President Pranab!