This is a sentiment that is echoed by many Indians, but when a foreign terrorist states it it is news. Kasab, like the other terrorists before him can look forward to a whale of a time in Indian jails, till they are either freed in exchange for hostages or meet a natural end. The collaborators of the assassination of an ex PM have been given education and lodging of a standard that is beyond the means of many Indians, which is a shame for any democratically elected govt. I wonder whether this isn't reason enough to want to break the law, especially by doing heinous crimes so that the sentence is long enough to acquire a suitable degree. The ex PMs assassins have completed their post graduation with MCA, and were given their degrees by some top ranking university official. I mean what the hell is going on? How many law abiding citizens are denied the opportunity to earn a degree - either too tied up in the race to find a stomach full of food or without resources to buy books or pay the fees? And here we have convicts being applauded. It is too shameful to think!
As PM I can assure you that prison life will not be a bed of roses for criminals. There is a need to make a distinction between different criminals to avoid the kind of "skill upgradation" that occurs in our prisons nowadays - get sentenced for pick pocketing and learn the tricks of more advanced crimes from within the jail walls and come out as a smuggler or worse! For this there will be different prisons and each will have a different regime to ensure that the worst of the lot are subject to the most grinding life.
Linked to the reforms in the judiciary and police, the jail system will also be revamped. There will be stricter sentences, and hard labour which will be used for public benefit. Inmates will be given the same treatment available to the every Indian, if a jail can offer something not available to every Indian, I would rather see the resources allocated such that every law abidiing citizen get's preference before any convict.
The policy regarding hosting foreign nationals in our prisons needs some thinking. Though offhand it seems a waste of our resources to feed them throughout their sentence, till the death sentence is carried out or till the end of the sentence after which they will be sent back to their countries.
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