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Dear Reader,
Early release of convicted prisoners in India is largely perceived as an unwarranted intrusion into the criminal justice system. This is mainly because remission is seen to be misused by the political class for electoral dividends with selective application of the process -- as recent instances in Gujarat in the Bilkis Bano case, and in Bihar in the Anand Mohan case have revealed. This has reinforced the public notion that the incarceration of convicts, without early release, is ‘just retribution’ for the crime committed.
However, Article 14 argues that this punitive approach to post-conviction disincentivises the convict from imagining a life outside the gaol through restitution and reformation – to restart life as a productive member of society. Additionally, the process leading to premature release is discriminatory and weighted against the convict. Prison reforms will have to be instituted if India has to square up to its “convict problem”.
The Indian farmers are in distress. Battered by the impact of climate change, with abnormal weather events increasing in intensity and frequency, and besieged by the seeming apathy of the governments to intervene to alleviate this distress. Mojo Story reports from Uttar Pradesh on the dismal and dire condition of the small and marginal tillers.
El Nino, the warming of the waters in the Pacific Ocean, seems to have strengthened and intensified in the last few years, with a direct impact on the Monsoons in India. The India Forum analyses how the ill effects of El Ninos could have a catastrophic impact on food and water availability in India and looks at what can be done to stem the tide.
And, the spraying of Endosulfan, a pesticide, in the cashew plantations in Kasargod in Kerala has, over the years, had a devastating impact on the lives of its residents. Many succumbed, and those who survived are struggling with multiple afflictions. The Kerala government, Keraleeyam Masika reports, has been impervious to the pleas of more than a thousand affected by the spraying to be included in the official list which will enable them to access healthcare and emoluments.
For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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