Dibrugarh: Jailed Amritpal Singh goes on hunger strike

Amritpal Singh on hunger strike: 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh and his aides, who are currently lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh Jail, have gone on a hunger strike, said the radical Sikh leader's wife Kirandeep Kaur on Thursday.

Amritpal's wife on Thursday said that jailed radicals have decided to go on hunger strike for several reasons. "Every week, I visit Dibrugarh Jail in Assam to see Amritpal Singh Ji. Today, during the meeting with him, I got to know that Amritpal along with other Singhs is on hunger strike," she said.

Lack of calling facility from jail

One of the reasons behind the hunger strike is that the Punjab government is not allowing jailed Singhs to call their families from Dibrugarh Jail, she said.

"Punjab government is not allowing jailed Singhs to call their families from Dibrugarh Jail. A visit to the jail cost at least Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 and every family can not afford this," Kaur said.

"It would be good for the mental health of the jailed individuals and their families if a calling facility was made available from the jail."

"Furthermore, due to the lack of a calling facility, it is hard to communicate with lawyers and learn about the details of the case. This is making it difficult to fight the case," she added.

Poor food and water quality

Another reason behind the hunger strike is "poor water and food quality" in the jail, she added.

"The water and food provided inside the jail are of very poor quality. When they complain about the quality, the authorities claim they don't understand their language and there is no interpreter," Kaur said.

Language barrier

The language barrier has also become a hurdle for the Singh prisoners in Dibrugarh jail. Amritpal wife, speaking about the poor facilities in the jail, said that whenever they (Amritpal and his aides) try to communicate with the authorities, the Assamese language becomes a barrier and there is no interpreter.

As a result of such pressure, a few Singhs are also suffering from mental stress, which is impacting their health. The government must address these problems as soon as possible, she said adding, "we are just asking for basic facilities."

"As of today, I've joined the hunger strike alongside Amritpal Ji," the radical leader's wife added.

Notably, Amritpal Singh was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) on April 23 after 36 days of manhunt by the Punjab Police. He was brought to Assam's Dibrugarh Central Jail.

The self-styled preacher was evading Punjab Police since 18 March, when the authorities initiated a crackdown on the leader and his supporters

Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh, and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla, his other nine aides, were also arrested and charged under the stringent National Security Act.

Punjab Police had initiated a crackdown against Amritpal after his arms-wielding supporters successfully stormed a police station in March.

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