Chapter X
The
Jail Diary of A Medico
(An
English translation of the memoirs published in Hindi in the DMC Magazine, 1982.)
Background
— in 1977, an agit ation was launched
in Bihar * for distinguishing the merit s between the students of the government and
non-government medical colleges. Even today, the opinion ranging right from the
common countrymen to the Prime Minister, is, that the system of ‘capit ation-fee’ is not justifiable**. Still it is prevalent in our country. Our agit ation started wit h
a token strike on 22nd April which gradually intensified to an indefinit e strike, satyagrah and filling up the
jail. On August 3, the statewide agit ation
came to an end at the behest of the appeal made by Jay Prakash Narayan. The
following pages of the diary are not the analysis of the cause, result or
justification of the satyagrah, but the truth experienced between the
‘red walls’.
13th
July
The
police were active in the campus for many days. This morning it was known that the police had camped in the hospit al. On coming to the hospit al,
it seemed that they were determined
to arrest some agit ating students.
Students were few, the police were many more. But gradually students proceeded
towards the hospit al. They raised
slogans.
After
the police had arrested us, we reached the police station in a police van. Dr.
S. N. Sinha, In-Charge, Students’ Section, was already present there for
keeping the records. We were taken to jail from Laheriasarai P. S. on foot and
we entered the jail crossing the wait ing
satyagrahis at the big gate of the jail. No major trouble occurred in
the jail but it was felt that we had
lost something. As there was a large group of students inside the jail, nothing
was unusual. Ours was the third batch of students received by the previous
batches and the process went on as fresh batches of students came inside the
jail, one after another totaling 141 students.
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* Including Jharkhand
* Finally on
14.8.2003, the supreme court of India it ed
capit ation-fee.
We
selected for us Ward No.13, which was popular as the MISA ward or the Jayprakashi
ward. Writ ten on the barrack was
‘Suraj Bhavan’ (on the name of the famous revolutionary of the Mit hila region, Suraj Narayan Singh). After some time
five friends came whom the police had taken into their custody while they were
on fast; they however, continued their fast in the jail compound under an
Ashoka tree. Then one of my classmates came. When I enquired for the reason of
his delay, he told, “I was busy in writ ing
letters and posting them to the edit ors
of the dailies.” It was beyond his imagination, how much time it would take to echo the voice of common men from
the press, commit ted to the
establishment.
14th
July
We
had our breakfast of kachauri-jalebi sent by Principal Dr. T. N. Jha. Some convicted prisoners had
started cooking our food. Some students had learnt from the radio belonging to
the jailor that the government had declared us ‘anti-social elements’.
Immediately a meeting was convened. We put up a notice for mass fast and
refused to be locked up and the jailor was informed accordingly. Some students,
not accustomed to fasting could not do it
and mid-night rain compelled us to go inside as we were in the open.
On
getting up in the morning, our most difficult problem was to use the service
latrine of the eighteenth century model. We felt that this was to be borne till
we were there. There was a meeting after the daily rit uals.
Different commit tees were formed for
management. Fast was broken wit h
bread and butter but it was decided
that five students would go on fast-unto-death and eight students would be on
relay fast.
Throat-choking
rice in food; prohibit ion on
listening to news on radio despit e
strong desires (as a reaction of night’s incident); counting after meals (How
many asamis?) — Now we felt, “What a jail was?” In the evening on the
clarification of the D. M. (on branding us ‘anti-social elements’), students
broke fast.
15th
July
In
the morning, foul smell of latrine; daily rit uals;
breakfast; lunch; rest; visit ing
guests of one or the other at the gate; evening snacks— banana or egg; counting
of prisoners after supper; again lock up at around 10 p.m.
Some students were now trying to be released on bail. How
a class hit herto in comforts could
remain in such difficulties?
16th
July
Today
two students were bailed out. In the morning, my elder brother came. It was a
matter of satisfaction that he did not talk about bail. Today a minister also
came to meet us. For maintaining the morale of the students, we started a
series of meetings and lectures in the evening.
Today
some students of the local colleges were nabbed for supplying chit s to the examinees and they were brought in the
jail. An ex-MP of the CPI and a dignified leader had come to meet them. How the
sanctit y of examination could be
maintained in such an atmosphere?
Since the previous day, I was discussing wit h the bedi-bandi naxalit e leader, Comrade Umadhar Singh on the ‘change in
the system’. The other bedi-bandi for a long time in the cell, an elder
polit ical prisoner, Sarv Narayan
Chaudhary presented me a garland of beli flowers, being pleased wit h my discussion. What more a prisoner could
present?
17th
July
Today we started academic work to keep ourselves mentally
busy. Senior student Chandra Mohan Jha lectured on viral diseases. On the other
side, competit ions of playing cards
and chess were arranged. Many medicos were taking new training in cards and
smoking. Now I can understand how and why jails have been converted into
‘corruption training camps’ instead of reformation centres. It depends upon
one’s standard what and how much one can learn from them?
18th
July
Today
many friends have been released on bail. Now we are only 123. A condemnation
resolution was passed in the evening meeting. The jailor wanted that we should
relieve him by going out on P. R. (Personal Release) Form.
19th
July
In the evening meeting, the jailor came wit h the P. R. Forms, which were torn by us. A
preacher of yesterday has gone out today on bail; he was condemned for
preaching others. It is an old and major factor for the weakness of the
people’s movement in this country.
20th
July
Now we
are only 114. I could not go to the evening recreation session due to mess
duty. In the night there was discussion on the ambiguous meaning of ‘released
theoretically’. Today we boycotted visit ing
guests from outside so that they could work for strengthening the agit ation outside.
Dr.
B. N. Sinha and Dr. N. P. Mishra came today wit h
bulk of biscuit s as presentation.
The Paediatrics department has sent chocolates. Student-teacher relationship is
certainly sweet in this college.
21st
July
Today we
were awarded better ‘grade’— it
means, now we will get good food, clothes, etc. like polit ical
prisoners. Lunch was very good but in the evening we were released on the Govt.
orders. In spit e of provoking
mismanagement in the jail, we have become intimate wit h
the Asst. Jailor. The regular prisoners were also sorry. They were now getting
good food due to our protest — as even common patient is well treated when few
VIPs are admit ted into general wards.
We were allowed to bring clothes, blankets, etc. while coming out. We came out
wit h the theme ^Lora=
gS ;g /kjk] Lora= vkleku gS* (This earth is free; the sky is free).
Some friends were repenting why they missed shoes and clothes and also they
were befooled by giving fee to advocates unnecessarily for coming out on bail,
only one or two days earlier.
After
coming to the hostel, first I went to the latrine. (Now, we learn that clean Sulabh
Shauchalayas are going to be constructed in every jail of Bihar *!).
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- including Jharkhand
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