Who killed Yakub Memon?

Who watched Yakub Memon die?
"We," said the Indian Media. "With our little eye, we wrote what he had for breakfast, what he wore to the gallows, how he'd been a respectable chartered accountant earlier and even a student of literature, once winning an award for excellence and how his wife still believed in his innocence - we watched him die.""

Who caught his blood?
"We," said the ruling party. "With our little dish. We received the accolades and the compliments, from the vengeance - hungry crowds, for justice for the blast victims; for the crimes of his brother, we caught the blood."

Who'll make the shroud?
"I," said his mother. "With my tears of regret, for a son who'd surrendered with faith in the law, with my tears of sorrow, I'll make the shroud."

Who'll dig his grave?
"I," said political expediency. "With my skills of sanctimony and posturing, I'll dig his grave."

Who'll be the whipping boy?
"We," said members of his community. "With our little book, with our skull caps and our beards, henceforth, we'll be the whipping boys."

Who'll be the accomplice?
"I," said public opinion. "If it's in the dark, I'll be the accomplice."

Who'll carry the guilt?
"We," said the public. "We'll forget it in a minute, but we'll carry the guilt."

Who'll be chief mourners?
"We," said the so-called pseudo secularists. "Against the wave of public sentiment and the bloodlust for revenge - we'll be the chief mourners."

Who'll carry the breaking news?
"I," said the leading news channel. "Right through my NewsHour debate, I'll carry the news."

Who'll bear the sorrow ?
"We," said his family. "All of us together, we'll bear the sorrow."

Who'll sing his sorry tale?
"We," said a few voices in the wilderness. "As he embarked on his life as a householder and professional, we'll sing his sorry tale."

Who'll take the credit?
"I," said the nation's leader. "Because I have the loudest voice. I'll take the credit."

Then all the birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,

When they heard of the hanging of Mr Yakub Memon.

Malavika Sangghvi is a Mumbai-based writer malavikasmumbai@gmail.com