|
'Hunger-Strikers'
Demands
Reiterated
[The
Lahore
Conspiracy
Case
(LCC)
prisoners
had
suspended
their
hunger
strike
on
the
assurance
that
the
Government
of
India
was
considering
the
Jail
Committee
Report
and
that
the
jail
reforms
would
be
punished
for
participating
in
the
hunger
strike.
After
the
hunger
strike
was
suspended,
the
GOI,
however,
resorted
to
delaying
tactics.
Disciplinary action
was
also
taken
against
hunger
strikers
in
U.P.
and
Punjab
jails
(other
than
LCC
prisoners).
It
was
in
this
connection
that
Bhagat
Singh
wrote
this
letter
to
the
GOI,
which
was
short
of a
notice-cum-ultimatum
for
resuning
the
hunger
strike.]
The
Home
Member,
The
Govt.
of
India,
Delhi.
Through
The
Special
Magistrate,
Lahore
Conspiracy
Case,
Lahore.
SIR,
With
reference
to
our
telegram
dated
20th
Jan.
1930,
reading
as
follows,
we
have
not
been
given
any
reply.
Home
Member,
India
Government.
Delhi
Undertrials,
Lahore
Conspiracy
Case
and
other
Political
Prisoners
suspended
hunger-strike
on
the
assurance
that
the
India
Govt.
was
considering
Provincial
Jail
Committee's
reports.
All
India
Government
Conference
over.
No
action
yet
taken.
As
vindictive
treatment
to
political
prisoners
still
continues,
we
request
we be
informed
within
a
week
final
Govt.
decision.
Lahore
Conspiracy
Case
undertrials.
As
briefly
stated
in
the
above
telegram,
we
beg
to
bring
to
your
kind
notice
that
the
Lahore
Conspiracy
Case
undertrials
and
several
other
political
prisoners
confined
in
Punjab
jails
suspended
hunger
strike
on
the
assurance
given
by
the
members
of
the
Punjab
Jail
Enquiry
Committee
that
the
question
of
the
treatment
of
political
prisoners
was
going
to be
finally
settled
to
our
satisfaction
within
a
very
short
period.
Further,
after
the
death
of
our
great
martyr
Jatindra
Nath
Das,
the
matter
was
taken
up in
the
Legislative
Assembly
and
the
same
assurance
was
given
publicly
by
Sir
James
Crerar.
It
was
then
pronounced
that
there
has
been
a
change
of
heart
and
the
question
of
the
treatment
of
political
prisoners
was
receiving
the
utmost
sympathy
of
the
government.
Such
political
prisoners
who
were
still
on
hunger
strike
in
jails
of
the
different
parts
of
the
country
then
suspended
their
hunger
strike
on
the
request
being
made
to
this
effect
in an
AICC
resolution
passed
in
view
of
the
said
assurance
and
the
critical
condition
of
some
of
the
prisoners.
Since
then
all
the
local
governments
have
submitted
their
reports.
A
meeting
of
Inspectors-
General
of
Prisons
of
different
provinces
has
been
held
at
Lucknow
and
the
deliberations
of
the
All-India
Govt.
Conference
have
been
concluded
at
Delhi.
The
All-India
Conference
was
held
in
the
month
of
Dec.
last.
Over
not
carried
into
effect
any
final
recommendations.
By
such
dilatory
attitude
of
the
government
we no
less
than
the
general
public
have
begun
to
fear
that
perhaps
the
question
has
been
shelved.
Our
apprehensions
have
been
strengthened
by
the
vindictive
treatment
meted
out
to
hunger
strikers
and
other
political
prisoners
during
the
last
four
months.
It is
very
difficult
for
us to
know
the
details
of
the
hardships
to
which
the
political
prisoners
are
being
subjected.
Still
the
little
information
that
has
trickled
out
of
the
four
walls
of
the
jails
in
sufficient
to
furnish
us
with
glaring
instances.
We
give
below
a few
such
instances
which
we
cannot
but
feel,
are
not
in
conformity
with
the
govt.
assurance.
(1)
Sj.
B.K.
Banerji,
undergoing
5
years
imprisonment
in
connection
with
Dakshineshwar
Bomb
Case
in
Lahore
Central
Jail,
joined
the
hunger
strike
last
year.
Now
as a
punishment
for
the
same,
for
each
day
of
his
period
of
hunger
strike,
two
days
of
the
remission
so
far
earned
by
him
have
been
forfeited.
Under
usual
circumstances
his
release
was
due
in
Dec.
last,
but
it
will
be
delayed
by
full
four
months.
In
the
same
Jail
similar
punishment
has
been
awarded
to
Baba
Sohan
Singh,
an
old
man
of
about
seventy,
now
undergoing
his
sentence
of
life
transportation
in
connection
with
the
(first)
Lahore
Conspiracy
Case.
Besides,
among
others,
Sardar
Gopal
Singh
confined
in
Mianwali
Jail,
Master
Mota
Singh
confined
in
Rawalpindi
Jail
have
also
been
awarded
vindictive
punishments
for
joining
the
general
hunger
strike.
In
most
of
these
cases
the
periods
of
imprisonment
have
been
enhanced
while
some
of
them
have
been
removed
from
the
Special
class.
(2)
For
the
same
offence,
i.e.
joining
the
general
hunger
strike,
Messrs.
Sachindra
Nath
Sanyal,
Ram
Kishan
Khattri
and
Suresh
Chandra
Bhattacharya,
confied
in
Agra
Central
Jail,
Raj
Kumar
Sinha,
Sachindra
Nath
Bukshi,
Manmath
Nath
Gupta
and
several
other
Kakori
case
prisoners
have
been
severely
punished.
It is
reliably
learnt
that
Mr.
Sanyal
was
given
bar-fetters
and
solitary
cell-confinement
and
as a
consequence
there
has
been
a
break-down
in
his
health.
His
weight
has
gone
down
by
eighteen
pounds.
Mr.
Bhattacharya
is
reported
to be
suffering
from
tuberculosis.
The
three
Bareilly
Jail
prisoners
also
have
been
punished.
It is
learnt
that
all
their
privileges
have
been
withdrawn.
Even
their
usual
rights
of
interviewing
with
relations
and
communication
with
them
were
forfeited.
They
have
all
been
considerably
reduced
in
their
weights.
Two
press
statements
have
been
issued
in
this
connection
in
Sep.
1929
and
Jan.
1930
by
Pandit
Jawaharlal
Nehru.
Next
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