Srinagar: Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has asked the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to restore ‘dignity’ of Kashmiri political prisoners in different jails in Jammu and Kashmir and outside.
JRL, which comprises of both the chairman of Hurriyat factions Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Mailk, in a joint application before the SHRC chairman said the Kashmiri inmates in “Tihar jail are subjected to inhuman of deprivation, and medical treatment, for those who require it is lacking, the inmates are deprived of their contact with near and dear ones and also other basic needs.”
“In Kathua jail, which ash become torture chamber, Kashmiri inmates are deprived of human contact for many months. This amounts to punishment beyond prison time and is inhuman,” the leadership said.
They said that there are large numbers of under trails “cramped in unhygienic conditions with sub standard medication provided to them.
“The inmates also have to seek permission from jail authorities even in health matters.”
They also said that the food provided to the prisoners is of bad quality besides being given during odd hours.
“Kashmiri prisoners are kept with hardened criminals in cramped prisons which poses life threat to them,” they said.
“Their movement is restricted and water is unavailable in their cells. Deprivation of Kashmiris inmates in Indian prisons goes against prisoners rights. Imprisoning Kashmiris doesn’t mean that they should be treated like animals,” JRL said.
They said the “basic dignity and welfare of prisoners is sought to be crushed and their basic humanity attempted to be undermined by draconian measures.”
“Going against the ethos of human and prisoners rights undermines the very nature of these rights.”
“It is therefore requested to your good self to look into these grave violations and issue instruction to restore the dignity of Kashmiri political prisoners,” they added.
