Demand for status of political prisoners

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 30. — Members of the Bandi Mukti Committee and Association for Protection of Democratic Rights have alleged that the jail authorities are violating the rights of political prisoners in the state by demanding information about all imprisoned fellow activists from them in various jails, were arrested on charges of “waging war against the state” , based on the Correctional Services Act 2000.

While political leaders such as Mr Narayan Biswas, former minister of state and the Behrampore MP, Mr Adhir Choudhury, got all the privileges in the jail custody arranging feast or taking “bhai phota”, prisoners like Animesh Chakraborty or Sumit Sarkar are not allowed to meet their relatives in private,” Mr Amitdyuti Kumar of Bandi Mukti Committee, told reporters at a press conference here today.They met the Maoist leader, Mr Animesh Chakraborty, in Malda jail today who has been keeping fast since 20 March demanding his recognition as a political prisoner. Similarly, the Central team of the BMC would meet Sumit Sarkar in West Midnapore Central Jail tomorrow.“Far from meeting his demand, Animesh was not allowed to meet his visitors without the presence of DIB personnelin Malda Jail,” said Mr Kumar.Mr Kumar also claimed that without informing the relatives, the state had brought Animesh Chakraborty to Malda Jail from West Midnapore Central Jail when he was on a hunger-strike and lastly he fell ill and the Malda Jail authorities had to admit him to the Malda District Hospital for treatment. Mr Sukhendu Bikash Bhattacharya of National Alliance for Peoples’ Movement (NAPM) claimed that the jail authority had not informed the relatives of Animesh of his health condition; rather they are trying to feed him forcefully which is totally illegal.“Why doesn’t the government sit with them for discussions? asked Mr Bhattacharya. Mr Chhoton Das, secretary of BMC, said that the jail authorities have forwarded the application for the demand of political prisoners’ status to the Malda Court and they have also applied to the chief judicial magistrate to have the political prisoners’ status. Animesh was arrested on 20 March last year from Siliguri . He had ten charges pending against him. Most of the cases are regarding the anti-state activities which themselves apprise for his political prisoner status, wife of Animesh Chakraborty, Mrs Karabi Tarafdar said.