R.M. Pal
A news item in the CPM publication Ganshakti, an English translation of which is published below, according to which the West Bengal Government is planning to set up separate prisons (Jails) for Bangladeshi prisoners. The State Government wants seventy five per cent of the expenses involved from the Central Govt. and it has already approached the Home Ministry in this regard. It will spend only 25 per cent of the expenses involved. The Government has started looking for a suitable place for constructing this prison. According to the present calculation the whole project will cost Rupees one hundred crores. There are about 300 Bangladeshis in different jails in West Bengal, out of which 250 are women prisoners. I spoke about this to a well known human rights activist. He told me that the news could not be correct for how could dthe Govt. have separate prisons for different prisoners. But the fact is that it is happening. What is surprising is that there is no protest by the media/opinion makers and human rights groups in Kolkata, or other parts of West Bengal.
It is generally agreed that it is important for India to maintain friendly relations with neighbours which includes Bangladesh. Is this the way to calibrate friendship?
(I am grateful to my friend Mr. Dilip Basu, former Reader in Gnglish, Rajdhani College, University of Delhi for translating the Ganshakti piece into English).
Ganshakti, Kolkata, 08 October, 2009
WEST BENGAL THINKS OF A SEPARATE JAIL FOR BANGLADESHI PRISONERS – OUR CORRESPONDENT: Kolkata, 07 October – The State Government is planning for a separate jail for illegal migrants and militants from Bangladesh apprehended here. The plan has been communicated to the Central Government. There have been a few rounds of talk between the State and the Centre regarding the way this special jail can be created adhering to our country’s legal system. Originally, a piece of land in Bongaon was earmarked for constructing such a jail. The authorities of the Department of Prison then sent the information that since that piece of land is too close to the Indo-Bangla border, the necessary permission for this has not been granted.
The Bangladeshi citizens who have been in Indian prisons, especially West Bengal prisons, even when released by the court, delay going back to their country. Handing them over to the Bangladeshi authorities takes up too much time. The State prison department is thinking of a separate arrangement for keeping these released prisoners whose return home is delayed due to administrative sloth, so that they are under legal control. These Bangladeshis will be given shelter at one particular place where they will have every facility. The planned expenditure for creating this place is Rs. 100 crores, and 75 per cent of the cost will be borne by the Central Govt., while the remaining 25 per cent will be the State’s responsibility. All documents regarding this plan have been sent to the Central Government.
There are, at this time, about 3,000 Bangladeshi nationals in different West Bengal jails. Two hundred fifty of them are women. The State Government wants that as and when these captives are released, Bangladesh Government should be prompt in arranging to take them back. They have discussed the issue with the (Central) Ministry of Home Affairs. There are about 20,000 prisoners in different jails in the State. Frequently, a large number of prisoners in some particular jail create problems. It is thus that plans are afoot to enlarge the area of some of these jails, as also to create a few new ones. Last November, a jailhouse was constructed at Kalyani that would house three hundred prisoners. At Haldia in East Midnapore, and at Tehotto in the Nadia district, two more are coming up. New wards have been created in Alipur jail. Dibendu Sarkar, a senior official in the Prison department, says that some special work-programme has been adopted for the security guards. At Midnapore and Bankura the prisoners’ security guards are getting assistance from a special police force. The State’s prison department will soon take further measures to enhance the quality of security in jails.
8.12.2009
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