The National Service Scheme volunteers of St.Xaviers’ Arts and Science College in Kozhikode, have appealed to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission to form a commission to protect the rights of prisoners in the country.
Fr. Swamy’s death
The petition comes in the backdrop of the recent death of Fr.Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest, who was imprisoned and allegedly denied medical aid after he was arrested on charges of sedition.
The petition said that the rights of prisoners were rarely taken into consideration, not just in India but most of the world countries. While it did not ask to free or grant bail to the prisoners, the focus was on providing them basic facilities, emergency medical aid and legal assistance. The students said the courts and the government must ensure that these rights were protected.
“Who is responsible for the years spent in jail, of someone wrongly accused and later found innocent? There are several innocent people who are wrongly accused and had to spent years in jail. Those who have no friends or relatives to fight their case may spend their whole life in jail without any legal assistance. Sometimes, the punishment weighs much heavier than the crime committed. It is seen that people who oppose the government decisions are often branded anti-nationals and are subject to imprisonment”, the petition signed by 40 students says.
The students have approached the Supreme Court and National Human Rights Commission with the demand for a commission.
This NSS unit had forwarded a similar petition seeking release of prisoners aged 80 years and above in March 2021, to several world leaders. The memorandum prepared in Sanskrit, Hebrew, German, and Arabic besides Malayalam, English, and Hindi, and signed by 50 student volunteers was forwarded to the President and the Prime Minister of India, the National Human Rights Commission, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission, the Supreme Court of India, the High Court of Kerala and the Chairman of the University Grants Commission.
State rights panel
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has found merit in their demand. However, since the commission did not have the power to make a decision on this matter, it directed the Chief Secretary of the State on July 10, 2021, to make a decision and submit a report on it to the commission within two weeks.
