Mass Hunger Strike Erupts in Sundargarh District Jail
A serious protest has unfolded inside the Sundargarh district jail in Odisha, where a massive 546 inmates have launched an indefinite hunger strike. The protest, which began on Tuesday, is a direct challenge to the alleged mismanagement and misconduct by the newly appointed jail superintendent, alongside grievances about substandard facilities within the prison walls.
Escalation of Tensions and Official Response
The situation escalated on Wednesday when frustrated inmates threw their food plates in a powerful display of anger. Their central demand is the immediate transfer of the jail superintendent, identified as Jiban Singh Munda. In response to the growing unrest, a police team has been deployed to the jail to monitor the volatile situation closely.
Attempting to defuse the crisis, Tejaswini Behera, the Sub-Collector (Sadar) of Sundargarh, visited the correctional facility on Wednesday afternoon. She held discussions with the protesting inmates to understand their core issues firsthand.
Inmate Demands and Official Assurance
Speaking to the media after her visit, Behera outlined the prisoners' concerns. "The undertrial prisoners and convicts in the jail have some demands," she stated, highlighting that these included issues related to their visiting hours and interaction with their family members.
Behera assured that the grievances would be communicated to higher authorities. "We will intimate these to the higher authorities. As per existing guidelines and in the manual, we will try to address their concerns and will try to help them out," she explained. She further added that judicial officials are also expected to visit the jail to hear the complaints directly and ensure appropriate action is taken.
The protest underscores deep-seated issues within the prison system, putting a spotlight on inmate welfare and administrative accountability. The authorities are now under pressure to resolve the standoff before the health of the hundreds of protesting inmates deteriorates further.
