Naxal inmates may go on hunger strike - international campaign of support of ICSPWI

The inmates of Nagpur Central Jail who have Naxal links began a propaganda on Thursday, to protest 1993 blasts convict Yakub Memon’s execution. They aim to rope in other convicts too, and spread the protest across other prisons in the country. It is learnt that the inmates may start a chain hunger strike, demanding that the hanging be stayed. The Naxal inmates also plan to appeal to President Pranab Mukherjee and the judiciary to reconsider the decision.

The Naxal prisoners, who normally protest through hunger strikes, are likely to get a good response as Yakub is popular in jail. A CA, Yakub also holds a double degree in political science and English literature. He used to work as a language instructor in jail and help other inmates with their pending cases before being shifted to solitary confinement. —Soumitra Bose