It's safer in jail: 21 prisoners in UP don't want parole amid Covid pandemic
Lucknow, May 30: Most people would do anything to get out of jail. But that's not the case with 21 inmates in nine prisons of Uttar Pradesh who have written to authorities saying they don't want parole as staying incarcerated is "safer and healthier" for them during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parole is a temporary suspension of prison sentence.
The inmates who have made such a request are lodged in nine jails of the state, including in Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Meerut, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur and Lucknow, Director General of Jail Administration Anand Kumar told PTI on Sunday.
The reason is that if they get a 90-day parole, then this will get added to the punishment term, he said.
"The other overriding reason which they give is that if they go out, they will not get food and other healthcare facilities, which they get in the jails.
"The inmates say health checkup is done regularly in the jails. They get food on time, they are safe and healthy in jails. The inmates say that once they go out of the jail, they will have to struggle to earn a living," Kumar said.
There are four such requests from Lucknow jail, three from Ghaziabad and two from Maharajganj jail.
Asked what is the jail administration's response to the request of the inmates, Kumar said, "Since they have given it in writing, obviously we have to accept their stand and honour it."
Kumar also said over 2,200 inmates have been released on interim parole, and more than 9,200 prisoners have been given interim bail.
In all, around 11,500 inmates have been released following recommendations of a high-powered committee on the orders of the Supreme Court, he said.
Taking note of an "unprecedented surge" in COVID-19 cases in the country, the Supreme Court on May 8 passed directions for decongestion of prisons and ordered forthwith release of all those prisoners who were granted bail or parole last year in view of the pandemic.
In March last year, the Uttar Pradesh government had decided to free 11,000 prisoners from 71 jails pursuant to a Supreme Court directive to decongest jails across the country in the wake of the COVID-19 contagion.
On March 16, 2020, the top court had taken suo motu cognisance of overcrowding of prisons across the country and had said it is difficult for jail inmates to maintain social distance to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The Supreme Court had directed all states and union territories to constitute high-level committees to consider giving parole or interim bail to prisoners and undertrials for offences entailing up to seven-year jail term.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
