Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 18: "Confine Hindu and Muslim prisoners in the same cell. Let them fight out among themselves," advised former minister and Congress legislator, U T Khader.

He gave this suggestion during the debate on Karnataka Prison Development Board bill that was tabled in the state assembly on Friday September 17. During the discussions, Khader noted that in the Mangaluru prison, Hindu and Muslim prisoners are kept in separate cells. He questioned the rationale behind confining them in different cells. "Even after they come out of the prison, they continue with the same mentality, and continue to propagate the same ideals by which they were guided. Therefore, they should be put together in the same prison cells. Let them fight among themselves instead of coming out of jail and continue to create nuisance in the society," he stated.

Expressing dissatisfaction at the prison development board bill, Khader stressed that the bill should have tougher provisions. "People who kick up trouble inside the prisons get all the facilities. There are politicians to protect them, and lawyers who get them released. People who do noble work do not get any support or recognition. This is the reality now, and we have to address these issues," Khader insisted.

Khader said that people who are jailed become hardcore criminals by the time they come out. Instead, he felt, those who are imprisoned for the first time, should be sent to hospitals where their minds should be transformed. "If they are sent to big prisons, they come in contact with big criminals. People who are jailed for petty crimes turn into hardcore criminals. Just like we secure certificates from abroad, they are armed with a PhD certificate in crimes by the time they are released. Therefore, prisoners should not get all the facilities in the jail. People who are jailed once should have an aversion towards getting imprisoned again. The environment inside the prison should be such that no one should be willing to go back there," he insisted.

Speaking earlier on the bill, former speaker, Ramesh Kumar, too expressed his resentment about the bill. He said that scams are happening in jails routinely and gangsters are created where there are more police personnel. He asked the conditions in jails to be improved. He noted that there are habitual offenders in prisons and things get smuggled into jails. He wanted to put a brake on these activities. He also said that officials often seek bribes from the criminals and services of lower level police officials are used to polish the shoes of the children of the higher officials.

Before tabling the Prison Development Board bill, home minister, Araga Jnanendra, presented the Karnataka Police Amendment Bill which aims at restricting online gambling and betting. The bill plans to increase the period of imprisonment for offenders to three years with fine up to one lac rupees.