'Govt arrests those who raise their voice against anti-people policies'

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Welfare Party of India is launching a three-day nationwide campaign from 19-21 August, with the theme “Release All Political Prisoners - Mass Signature Campaign”.

 The party said, "While lakhs of prisoners are locked up in jails across India, among them thousands of prisoners are political prisoners. Those who raise their voice against the anti-people policies of the government are detained and put behind bars with fabricated cases and imposition of draconian laws like UAPA, NSA and sedition. Umar Khalid, Siddique Kappan, Teesta Setalvad, Sanjiv Bhatt are only a few to name.

" Mass signatures will be collected from the public and a memorandum will be sent to the President of India from all districts along with signatures, demanding immediate intervention to release all political prisoners. Press meets, seminars, and memorandum to the human rights department are the other programmes that will be taken up during the campaign

. Out of 6.10 lakh prisoners in the country, nearly 80% are under-trial. Chief Justice of India N V Ramana made this statement while addressing a public program some days ago, stressing the need to increase the efficiency of the criminal justice system.

According to the report, undertrial prisoners account for 76% (371,848) out of the total incarcerated population. Over half of the under trials are in district jails, which are overcrowded. Marginalised communities are most affected – two in three under-trial inmates belong to either SC, ST or OBC categories. They are vulnerable to illegal detentions, false confessional statements and arrests, and they have no means to seek bail. Caste prejudice and over-policing of certain communities are important factors behind the significant presence of marginalised caste groups in jails. The release of under trails declined by 19.6% in 2020 compared to 2019.

Through the campaign, the Welfare Party of India hopes to bring out a white paper on the political prisoners incarcerated throughout the country, to ensure that the political prisoners have access to legal facilities and humane treatment including bail, parole, fair speedy trials in fast track courts and to repeal "draconian laws like UAPA."