MUSLIM INMATES SERVED ‘JHATKHA’ FOOD IN JAMMU JAILS: MASARATALAM GANIE
Muslim inmates served ‘jhatkha’ food in Jammu jails: HCBA
SRINAGAR: Muslim inmates lodged at different jails of Jammu province are being served ‘jhatka’ food, the J&K High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has said. “In all the jails, the inmates belong to different denominations with varying dieting habits. In all the jails in Jammu region there is a common mess in jail wherein according to the prisoners vegetarian and non-vegetarian food (Halal and Jatka) is prepared together and served to the inmates,” the lawyers’ body has said in its ‘Annual Jail Report’ detailing the plight of ‘political prisoners’. “In law it is the duty of the jail authorities to respect the fundamental right of personal belief and religious ideology of every inmate and have to treat them accordingly and the mess as such in jails deserves categorization.” “The inmates belong to different denominations with varying dieting (sic) habits. In all the jails in Jammu region there is a common mess in jail wherein according to the prisoners vegetarian and non-vegetarian food (Halal and Jhatka) is prepared together and served to the inmates. In law it is the duty of the jail authorities to respect the fundamental right of personal belief and religious ideology of every inmate and treat them accordingly and the mess as such in jails deserves categorization,” the report says. Demanding “separate mess for Muslims and non-Muslims inside as the Muslims are non-vegetarian and some of the Hindus are vegetarian in food habits,” the HCBA has said that doing so will help “every inmate in the jail develop a sense of protection of his fundamental right to personal belief and religious ideology.” The report was prepared by HCBA after its designated team of lawyers visited and interacted with the prisoners held at district Jail Poonch, Sub jail Rajouri, Central jail Kotbalwal, Jammu district Jail, Amphala Jammu, District Jail Kathua and sub jail Hiranagar Jammu this month. The Bar team headed by the Vice President HCBA Aijaz Bedar Advocate with its members Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, General Secretary, Bilal Ahmad Wani, treasurer and Advocate G. N. Shaheen and Hamid Shafi has made several other observations and recommended measures to alleviate the condition of prisoners. The report has said that the prisoners were not treated in accordance with the Jail manual with political prisoners being lodged along with convicted criminals against the provisions of law.“The general health care is a problem inside the jails for want of sufficient, reasonable and appropriate doctors, paramedical staff and general medicines,” the report says adding “Mostly the jail inmates suffer from mental depression and skin diseases which need immediate medical attention and treatment.”The report further says that the under trial prisoners were subjected to delay in trials “and are not usually produced before the courts on due dates for hearing for want of security escort.” The report further mentions that the “militancy related prisoners and political detainees are badly suffering for want of appropriate legal aid.
No comments:
Post a Comment