Fast, overcrowding put jail officials in a fix

By R. Ilangovan

MADURAI, JULY 3. The DMK remand prisoners today refused to accept the daily `rations of food' supplied in the Madurai Central Prison, putting officials in a fix.

The 3,000-odd volunteers lodged in the prison under preventive sections following the arrest of the former Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, submitted a petition to senior officials. They said they were on fast to protest the ``brutal and uncivilised behaviour'' of the police who arrested him at his Chennai residence in the early hours of Saturday.

The prisoners demanded the Centre's intervention and imposition of President's rule in the State and wanted their party leader to be immediately released. Visitors said the inmates had been put to hardship in the last two days as the prison lacked basic amenities.

The detention of 3,008 persons for two days has put the prison administration under strain. It was already having 1,900 detenus against its capacity of 1,200. After the spate of arrests in the last two days, the total number of inmates has increased to 4,908.

Almost all cells and halls have already been occupied. Hence, the authorities had no option but to allow the remand prisoners to occupy the open grounds on the premises. But it rained last night. All DMK cadres, who spent the night in the open, got drenched and had to be accommodated on the long verandahs of convict cells. In fact, the convicts came forward to give their bed sheets to the remand prisoners who had to spend the damp night under an open sky.

The worst part of it was a scramble for toilets in the morning. The prison has one toilet for six detenus. The 3,000-odd remand prisoners, along with 1,900 inmates, had to manage with just about 200 toilets.

A senior official, admitting that it was a problem, said the convicts would be allowed to use the toilets only after 6 am. Hence, the remand prisoners used them before 6 am.

The administration faced another piquant situation when it ran short of dish plates. They had to bring more plates from nearby sub-jails. On the first day, they were allowed to buy plantain leaves.

The visitors were not allowed to bring eatables other than biscuits and fruits. Even the former Speaker, Mr. P. T. R. Palanivel Rajan, the Chennai Mayor, Mr. M. K. Stalin, the Madurai Mayor, Mr. P. Kulandaivelu, the DMK chief's son, Mr. M. K. Azhagiri, the former Minister Mr. S. Selvaraj and VIPs settled for the prison food.

Such a mass assembly in a camp-like atmosphere could have been avoided, had the decision to remand all DMK cadres under Section 7(1)a of the Criminal Law Amendment Act not been taken. A senior official said as per the provision, a person could be remanded for a minimum of 15 days. Except the potential trouble-makers, all could have been allowed to go after dusk and for this Sec. 151 of the Cr.P. C could have been used, said the official.

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