[Reader-list] 'Jail is Like College'

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  Burail Jail is Like College

  By Times News Network in Chandigarh
  The Times of India | 25 October 2004
  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/897873.cms
 

If you think jails and colleges do not have anything in common, you
are way off the mark. Burail Jail is bridging the gap between the two
in its own unique way. Like the fear of ragging haunts new students,
for inmates of Burail Jail, it is a test which is impossible to clear.

Raja (name changed), arrested in a criminal case, gave one such exam a
few days ago. A coin was fixed on his forehead by another inmates and
he was told to drop it on the floor without touching it. Raja managed
easily. But this was just the beginning.

Now, he was told to place his hands behind his back. He had to repeat
the act, only this time the coin was cleverly handed over to another
inmate behind him. Thinking that the coin was still stuck on his
forehead, Raja kept on trying.

After enjoying the scene, his tormentors announced his punishment: to
clean the barrack or bring five pouches of milk from the canteen.

This is the latest style of ragging attaining popularity among the
jail inmates nowadays.

Surprisingly, instead of putting an end to the practice, jail staff
also enjoy the ragging, say reliable sources.

"A few months ago we had raised the issue with the authorities, but
nothing has come out of it," says human rights advocate Arvind Thakur.
"Alleged Pakistani spy Aabid Mahmood, murder case accused Mahant
Jaidev Giri, smuggling case accused Aashish Arora, and Balwan Singh,
an accused in an attempt to kidnapping case, also faced ragging many a
times," claims Thakur. Balwan, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, had to
face the ignominy of being called a 'pahadi machar'.

Mostly, undertrials, arrested for petty crimes, get a taste of such
ragging. The fear of their 'seniors' holds them back from making any
complaints.

Official sources say that there are provisions to stop ragging and
they keep a close watch on the activities of the inmates. However,
acting jail superintendent Naresh Narwal denies that any such practice
exists in the jail. "We have no knowledge of ragging in the jail," he
claims.