India, July 26 -- Our democracy has a lot to be proud of, but the opposite is equally true. Last week, we added a terrible outcome to the long list of our failings. It will rest heavily on our collective conscience for years to come. The stain will be hard, if not almost impossible, to remove. For now, though, we need to struggle to tackle our guilt. But can we? Most importantly, will we?

Twelve fellow citizens, with the same right to justice and fair play as you or I, have spent 19 years in jail, accused and then initially convicted of a crime they did not do. They were punished when they were innocent.

And all the while we turned our backs on them and forgot their plight. We left them to the misery we inflicted on them till a high cou...