Iltija Mufti, the daughter of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has written a letter to Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu appealing him to release all the Kashmiri prisoners from jails in wake of the coronavirus outbreak
“As you are aware, thousands of Kashmiris includingmy mother Ms Mufti, ex Chief Minister J&K have been jailed since 5thAugust. As the world prepares to battle the deadly COVID (already declared aglobal pandemic by WHO), India in all likelihood has entered Stage 3 in whichthe virus spreads through community transmission. J&K has already reported4 cases & the numbers will go up exponentially in the coming weeks,” theletter reads.
“Since no known medication/vaccination forCOVID exists as yet, self isolation has emerged as the safest bet to fight theoutbreak. Overcrowded jails & lack of healthcare therefore makes thesedetainees highly vulnerable to the deadly contagion. It wouldn’t be anexaggeration to say that prisons all over India might become the new epicentreof this epidemic.”
‘Senior citizens over 65 & those with anunderlying illness such as diabetes, hypertension & breathing issues areespecially susceptible to COVID. There are hundreds of senior citizens from theValley battling multiple ailments across jails in the country. Some of thesedetainees come from humble families where the members haven’t been able toafford a single trip to visit their sons & brothers lodged in jails outsideKashmir. You can well imagine their anxiety & concern in the wake of COVIDpandemic.”
“Keeping in mind the aforementionedcircumstances, I would like to request you to release all detainees immediately& allow them to return home. At a time when jails even in USA are releasinginmates, one fails to understand reluctance of GOI in freeing detainees jailedfor the past 8 months on trumped up charges,” letter reads.
“We are in the midst of an extraordinarymedical situation & healthcare systems all over the world are collapsing. Iurge you to consider my request. I’m sure you will agree the collective health&well being of each of these detainees overrides every other consideration/ rationale for their detention,” Iltija wrote.