'88 pc jail inmates are undertrials'
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 8—Following the conclusion of the fourth course on human rights and prison management, being held at the Institute of Correctional Administration, Sector 26, an action plan on implementing human rights in prisons has been planned. The scheme will sensitise prison officers to the requirements of the inmates and motivate them to take initiatives to make improvements in the management of prisons.

The Deputy Director of the institute, Dr Upneet Lalli, says,"The prisons in England have facilities much in excess to those available in our prisons but inmates suffer from severe psychological problems. But our major problem is that of the ever-increasing number of undertrials in our prisons.'' She remarks that non-government organisations are involved in the upkeep of special women's cells in the prisons in a big way whereas in our country the idea is yet to catch on.

Inmates in Indian prisons have an edge over their counterparts in England in that there is a ban on solitary confinement and that is why the inmates have fewer psychological problems."An alarming fact in England is that the rate of recidivism is as high as 75 per cent whereas in India it is about 10 per cent,'' she says.

Mr Jayadev Sarangi, DIG (Prisons), Delhi, reasons,"In India, the rate is much lower because of the long terms the convicts are out of circulation. Besides, the situation at some places in England is the same as that in India. Poverty forces individuals to commit petty crimes and they land up in jail. This way they ensure their meals and a place to sleep in the night. The physical conditions are perhaps good because the condition of prisons is not detached from society outside.''

It was a very good learning experience for the four officials who have returned from a 15-day visit to England's jails.

The efficient system of the Board of Visitors impressed Mr Sarangi the most."We too have such a system in our prisons but it is not as good. This comprises a regular visit by individuals from all walks of life who visit the prisons and can give suggestions for improvements and point out loopholes in the functioning of the prisons,'' he comments.

He points out that the problem of undertrials is very severe in our country and that in Delhi, 88 per cent of the inmates in prisons are undertrials awaiting judgement."The emphasis, in our country is more on developing the finer aspects in an individual and economic empowerment, a key to his reform, is the focus of the prison officers,'' he says.

A research officer at the National Institute of Social Defence, Mr R. Rahman, opines,"Giving human rights to prisoners is regarded as bestowing on them a privilege which leads to complications. In England, however, each inmate is human rights-literate because officers have pasted posters displaying their rights at all places inside the jails along with the vision and goal of the staff. Besides, a booklet on human rights is provided to them when they enter a prison. In India, however, no such practice is followed and inmates gather information about their rights from fellow prisoners."

Study takes leaf from Gita
By PPS Gill
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 8 — If adolescence is a formative period in the life of boys and girls, as parents are you paying proper attention to it? Is it not during this period that the values, belief systems and personal adjustment skills have either to be inculcated so that they play a positive role in life ?

If as a parent one can detect in the youth symptoms of delinquent predisposition or proneness, then through counselling, corrective steps can be applied in time. That will enable the boys or girls to develop a "personality" capable of making adjustments as per the "accepted" social norms and standards.

It is this aspect of delinquency-proneness in adolescents which prompted Prof. Vidhu Mohan and Alka Kataria of the Department of Psychology at Panjab University here to undertake a study on the topic.

The recently concluded study involved 280 male and an equal number of female respondents in various Chandigarh schools, who were subjected to accepted tests involving three traits or postulates enshrined in Bhagavad Gita and referred to as sattava (goodness, potential consciousness); rajas (potential activity and dynamism and passion); and tamas (potential dullness, massiveness and inertia). Then there is a combination of the three trigunatita ( transcending the ethical values of the three to rise to spiritual or pure consciousness).

Every individual has these three traits and any one can be dominating in one's personality.

High delinquency-proneness was seen among both male and female subjects who had "poorer home, health, social, emotional and adjustment" background. Maladjustment was also found to be an integral part of the delinquency-prone behaviour.

There is a cause for concern over the changing behaviour patterns with latent potential for delinquency. The presence of hidden delinquency, which parents try to sort out at home or the family level, is also common. Lack of adjustment and personality itself are a factor to be taken into account.

The study observed that drives and needs triggered tensions in individuals who while attempting to reduce by way of adjustment either fail or succeed. "Thus delinquent behaviour is the manifestation of the urges and desires that are not satisfied in a normal way." Parents must learn to detect this.

The study suggests that a delinquency-prone child will have lesser of sattavaic and more rajasic and tamasic characters. Many children, therefore, not caught in the act of delinquency may have adjustment problems patterns and personality traits which predispose them towards delinquency. These children may, therefore, have more problems of adjustment in terms of home, social relations and emotions as compared to those children who are not pre-disposed to delinquent behaviour.

Thus varying life situations cast kaleidoscopic influences on the life of the adolescents , leading to maladjustment and consequent problems of behaviour with latent traces to get attracted to delinquent crimes. In fact, the number of children not caught is far more than those caught in the various delinquent acts. Perhaps , infrequency or mildness of such acts enabled them escape detection.

Taking pride in Punjabi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 8 — "The people of Pakistan are of the perception that Urdu is the language of Islam, of their movement and of Pakistan. But I do not believe in this view. Where does that leave languages like Punjabi? That is as much our mother tongue as Urdu is", said Mr Fakhar Zaman, former Minister of State, Cultural Affairs, Pakistan and ex-President, Pakistan People's Party, Punjab.

Mr Zaman was in Chandigarh yesterday to participate in the 'Ru-Ba-Ru' session of Punjab Arts Council, Rose Garden, Sector 16.

This Punjabi poet and writer talking about the Punjab of Pakistan, said, "I have a theory that there are two Punjabs. The one that I belong to is the Punjab of Ranjha, and the one that the feudal lords or the oppressive class belong to is the Punjab of Qaidon--the villain. And I firmly believe that Punjabi is as much our language as it is yours".

Mr Zaman said that he belonged to that school of thought which believes that there exists a minority elite which would rather sacrifice Pakistan than give up its narrow interests. And so the flourishing of the culture of Punjab, Sindh and that of Pathans was being seen as a threat.

On the subject of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the various charges of corruption against her, during whose regime he was the Minister of Cultural Affairs, Mr Zaman said, "Mrs Bhutto is a leader with a lot of charisma. And a lot is happening by way of political vendetta, and this would go in her favour. I do believe in the process of transparency, but then it cannot be one-sided".

He added, "The PPP has had its own roots since the time of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The party has a stronghold in the middle class of Pakistan, in the labour class, the 'kisan' class and even the intellectuals, because it represents progressive and enlightened thought and stands for cultural oneness".

Stating that it was during Mrs Bhutto's time that musical shows and classical dance programmes were being organised, Mr Zaman said, "We represent a very liberal thinking, because the PPP is not a reactionary or a bigotry party. But the 11-year rule of Gen Zia-ul-Haq still has its remnants in the country. Culture was in fact the first casualty during his dictatorial regime".

"It was in 1976 that a law was made which said that all plays have to be be first approved by the district collector concerned before being staged. And this archaic law still exists. Such bureaucratisation does affect the culture of any society".

Currently, the President of the cultural wing of the PPP, Mr Zaman while stating his party's stand on the yet to be tabled Shariat Bill said, "The present government does not even have a simple majority to present to the Senate (Upper House). And our party is opposing this Bill and not its tenets. We believe that our Constitution already includes all that is there in the Shariat, but oppose the fact that the Bill would make the Prime Minister all powerful".

Further counting the achievements of Mrs Bhutto's government, and his ministry, Mr Zaman said, "Pakistan never ever had a cultural policy. It was in the 70s that renowned poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz tried to formulate one but without success. In 1995 we came up with a policy, and I do take pride in the fact that I was the architect of the first cultural policy of Pakistan. Unfortunately, after the fall our government not much is being done about the same".

On the subject of his writings he said, "Though I started writing in Urdu, Punjabi writing is my first love". Five of his books in Punjabi had even been banned by the martial law regime in 1978. "I must have been the only writer till date to have my books banned for a period of 18 years. It was only in 1996 that the ban was lifted", Mr Zaman added.

In the evening, Mr Zaman held an interactive session at the council, in which he spoke at length about his love for the Punjabi language.