ASSAM: DETENTION CAMPS: HUMANITY AT THE EDGE

Either you take us out of this hell of kill us: voice of a detainee

The report revealed by activist Harsh Mander on the ill treatment meted out on the captives would once again compel any sensible being to ponder over if humanity still has existence

In the report Mander stated that they started a mission in behalf of the National Rights Commission on the detention centres for suspected illegal immigrants in Assam was undertaken to initiate as a response to very disturbing reports about the situation of Bengali Muslim residents in Assam, as well as a smaller number of Bengali Hindus,  both  relating to the process of determining legality of their citizenship.

The findings is sure to bring shivers down the spine as it mentions that the detainees are deprived of even the basic amenities of work and recreation,  to add to their dreadful conditions there lies difficulty in meeting of own family members. The separation of families is what lists the top in their deplicability.

The report mentions that the mission found that men, women and boys above six years were separated from the members of their families, further compounding their distress. Difficulties for families to meet are compounded because only a few jails in the state are converted into detention centres, therefore even for members of the families of detainees who are not detained,  meeting their loved ones is often too expensive due to distance and travel expenses. Also the detainees are not allowed illegally to communicate with their family member.  The mission found that the detainees are not given any work in the jail, detention centre.  Work is seen by jail officials to be the right only of prison convicts because they are Indian citizens. There are also no recreation facilities.  The Mission members were told that the detainees spend their entire time in painful idleness, because they see allowed to work and have no recreation facilities. Early morning they wake up,  stand up for the counting,  have breakfast,  then lunch and go inside ward after having early dinner at 4pm. The detention centre has no television or access to newspaper and library.

Thus such cruelty meted out definitely requires heed to be paid upon else the entire conception of humanity remains an absurd discourse