Shillong jail inmates go on hunger strike

SHILLONG, APR 24: Shillong District Jail inmates went on a hunger-strike since Thursday’s night alleging that they were served ‘poor quality’ of ‘food’ served by the jail authorities but this allegation was rebutted by the acting additional director general of (prison) who claimed that the strike was linked to the recent recovery of three mobile phones during a frisking carried out to sanitized the jail.

A jail official claimed that the inmates had gone on hunger strike since Thursday night by refusing to take food and skipped their breakfast too on Friday morning.. “They (inmates) have expressed dissatisfaction on the quality of food provided by the jail authority,” he said.

The jail official informed that as per the jail manual, the jail is serving mixed vegetables to the inmates adding meat is being served to them at least twice in a week.

There are more than 380 inmates both Under Trial Prisoners (UTPs) and convicts in Sources informed that the inmates have skipped breakfast, lunch and dinner as a mark of protest and insisted that quality food should be served to them besides other facilities.

Some of the inmates who were produced before the court attended the hearing without having any food on Friday morning.

But after DG (Prison) BL Buam intervened the inmates agreed to withdraw their hunger strike today. “The matter was resolved and the inmates have started taking their food,” the official of the jail informed.

Buam  told reporters the hunger strike launched by the inmates is linked to seizure of three mobile phones during a frisking inside the jail and not as claimed.

“A GNLA cadre had also given up one mobile phone to the officials and claimed that he had paid Rs 5000 to Phrangsngi Kyndiah, a warder of the jail, who was arrested and discharge from service about two weeks ago,” Buam informed.

Buam informed that the whole drama was instigated by a ringleader of a group of 6-10 inmates who started raising issues like lack of water supply and also demanded Rs 100 as pockets inside the jail.

“Since this is absolutely not as per the jail manual we have refused to their requests,” Buam informed.  He refuted that the hunger strike is linked to poor quality food and claimed that the food quality served to the jail inmates is alright’ ensuring that they get their required calories (rice, dal and others) which is as specified by the jail manual.- By Our Reporter