KL Report
SRINAGAR
With a purpose to have an on spot assessment and take stock of the living conditions of jail inmates, Rafiq Fida, member of J&K State Human Rights Commission accompanied by Tariq Ahmad Banday, Secretary, Showkat Iqbal, SP and Lazar Khandariya, Dy.SP during an inspection tour to the jails of Jammu province from January 6 to 9, this year, inspected almost all the Jails of Jammu province including Central Jail Jammu and jails of Kote Bilwal, Hira Nagar, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi.
The Commission in its report has said that during inspection, it has been observed that although the overall functioning of these jails was satisfactory, but there are some important issues, which the authorities at the helm of affairs, need to address.
According to CNS, the State Human Rights Commission has said that in gross violation of basic and human rights, there are some nationals of neighbouring countries in these jails detained and languishing under preventive laws, without trial or whose cases have either culminated or they have been acquitted by the Courts of Law or have completed their term of conviction and are overstaying.
According to the Commission, “amongst them are some poor and impoverished ones from Bangladesh, Burma, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia who, in search of their livelihood or mistakenly and inadvertently, crossed LOC illegally and are serving detention for either violating provisions of Immigration Control Rules, crossing LOC without travel documents or their travel documents are expired.”
The Commission has suggested that both the Governments of the State and Centre need to adopt humane approach, show some concern and, in order to ease out the tensions and strengthen the friendship ties between the neighboring countries, must take effective measures to deport all such nationals to their native countries as a goodwill gesture so that the right to life and liberty of these jail inmates are espoused and protected.
In an awful case, according to SHRC, the Inspecting team was moved by a miserable woman from Pakistan with a baby in her lap serving detention at Kote Bilwal jail, who erroneously and mistakenly walked and entered to this side of LOC and is detained for last two years whose and whose baby’s basic and fundamental rights of life are deprived and infringed. She needs to be deported to her native country as soon as possible so that she and her baby may breathe in free air. Same is the case with a female jail inmate from Jammu at the Central Jail.
“In the Hira Nagar jail an under trial who is 85 years old is languishing and dying down waiting for his trial to complete and see the dawn of his release. Even bail has not been granted to him. However, speedy trial is a fundamental right of every prisoner and this octogenarian under trial deserve it the most, so that he may see and stay with his family members during his dying days. Government must look into his case and the jail authorities arrange speed up his trial in the court of law. There is also a woman of 65 years age who is a lone female prisoner in the jail. Her trial also must speed up till then she needs to be kept somewhere with women prisoners.”
According to CNS, the Commission has said that vocational centers in jails are not in tune with the modern and sophisticated lines and lack modern computer culture. The authorities of both the jails need to update and upgrade these vocational centers to meet the modern needs and demands.
“Besides, there is an important role and imperative need to impart religious and spiritual teachings and preaching’s to the jail inmates, in addition to the sports activities so that they will get engaged and their psychological and mental equilibrium is maintained and any agony or pain or mental stress is let out and their psychological bondages are eased out. The authorities need to equip the jails with all such requirements and infrastructure.”
The Commission in its Jail report has said that a compound land of 256 kanals in Kote Bilwal Jail remains unused and if properly used, the land will surely prove beneficial, advantageous, and profitable.
“The authorities of the jail should put to use the entire land for plantation, vegetation, floriculture and the like and take the jail inmates to task so that more and more benefits and profits are achieved by the land and tension pockets of jail inmates are given outlet and their energies utilized in productive activities.”
