'Non-veg food could create tension in jail'

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4956691.cms

 

'Non-veg food could create tension in jail'

Shibu Thomas, TNN 1 September 2009, 02:11am IST

 

MUMBAI: In a stand likely to gladden the hearts of vegans, one of the state's

top prison official, justifying its all-vegetarian menu, has told the

Bombay high court that serving non vegetarian food in jails could be

" dangerous'' and create " tension''.

 

This curious explanation was given in response to a petition filed by six 1993

Mumbai serial blasts convicts who had challenged the 2008 ban on non-vegetarian

food in prison canteens across the state.

 

" The population in prisons is multi-religious and multi-cultural, providing of

meat has some times created tension, because of rumours that the meat is either

of cow or swine. From this angle, it is very dangerous to provide meat to

prisoners,'' said an affidavit filed by Ashok Patil, deputy inspector general of

prisons.

 

The officer went on to make another claim that medical officers had advised jail

officials to avoid non-veg food items due to the risk of " food poisoning,

communicable diseases and lurking danger of Bird Flue (sic)''.

 

Patil further said that since convicts are awarded rigorous imprisonment, making

available non-veg food would make the sentence " soft or simple''.

 

A division bench of Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice A R Joshi were, however, not

impressed. They have asked the state to consider three options__either make

available non-veg food in the jail canteen, or make it available from outside or

provide tinned non-veg items.

 

Advocate Aisha Ansari, counsel for the convicts, said that the banning non-veg

food in jail was a violation of their fundamental rights. According to the

petition, till 2008, prisoners were allowed to purchase extra food items from

the canteen using cash or the wages they earned in jail.

 

Patil said that allowing such food in the canteen was due to the

misinterpretation of rules, which they have now set right. The DIG added that

earlier, jail canteens were run as parallel kitchens serving " mutton, chicken,

biryani''.

 

The affidavit said that a diet chart was prepared for prisoners, who were given

vegetarian food that complied with the nutrition and calorie requirements. While

an average male needs 2,425 calories daily and a female 1,875, the prison food

provided 3,070 calories and 2,545 calories respectively. For foreign prisoners

who are non-vegetarians, modified diet is provided on the basis of

recommendation of medical officers.

 

The petition was filed by blast convicts Sardar Shahvali Khan, Salim Shaikh,

Momin Qureshi, Ali Shaikh, Parvez Qureshi and Niyaz Shaikh who are serving life

sentences at Aurangabad Central Prison.

 

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With best regards,

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Compassionate Crusaders Trust

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