While authorities debate over whether to serve meat to jailed undertrials, some prison inmates have taken up the matter in their own hands. According to newspaper reports, DIG Ashok Patil has filed an affadavit stating providing meat in prisons may lead to tension and serving pork or beef may be dangerous given the multi-religious population in jails.
A glance at who’s fighting for what – Ashok Patil (sounds like a meat-eater) thinks serving non-vegetarian fare to criminals would make rigorous punishment “soft or simple”.
The Times Of India says, “A division bench of Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice A R Joshi were, however, not impressed.”
Clearly, Nazki and Joshi are meat-eaters – one won’t touch pork and the other worships beef. But empty as their tummies might feel without animal flesh, they understand the criminals’ plight. Unless they’re vegetarians, but they don’t sound like carrot-wielding leaf-eaters to me.
The TOI article further says, “Advocate Aisha Ansari, counsel for the convicts, said that the banning non-veg food in jail was a violation of their fundamental rights.” and “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.” Wonder if any of them are fasting this Ramzan.
Non-vegetarian food is a luxury, not a necessity. To fulfil a Muslim criminal’s craving for red meat is like giving in to a Gujarati criminal’s request for undhiya. Can’t go on a shooting spree and place an order just like that, sorry. No Sir, no bib for you.
Moreover, think about ripping apart a cauliflower, and then think about gnawing on a chicken leg. Without taking sides or passing judgement, can you see what it does to your psyche?
Abdul Karim Telgi gets non-vegetarian grub, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur complains about being served meat along with her boiled vegetables, while Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab throws away his plate of dal, rice, chappatis and some vegetarian preparation and demands mutton twice a week. Calendar, khaana do.
Telgi has AIDS and is cooling his nuts in jail reminiscing about his jhol-jhaal days. But this jailed Sadhvi creating a ruckus over a boiled egg in her cabbage and Ajmal Kasab demanding spicy non-vegetarian food, including biryani is laughable. When you’re behind bars for blowing up places and killing citizens indiscriminately and are about to get penetrated in strange places by the Indian judicial system, you don’t try sending feelers to the chef. A strict vegan diet for the jailed accused would be the best deterrent of all, no one will want to go back there in a hurry. Make them suffer, really.
Mehta Kya Kehta? 