NEW DELHI: The Home Member replied to a large number of questions regarding political prisoners.

The principle recommended to all provinces, he said in reply to Prof. Ranga’s question, was that class “one” detenus should get diet, clothing, etc., at least as good as “B” class convicts. He understood that practically all the provinces had accepted this principle. From such calculations as he had been able to make from the figures supplied by the provinces, it appeared that the percentage of releases during the first six months after the promulgation of ordinance 3 was over 50. On October 1, 1944, the number of persons undergoing imprisonment in connection with the Congress movement was 10,356.

The Home Member in answer to Mr. Lahiry Chaudhry’s question placed on the table a copy of a medical report on Dr. P.C. Ghosh, a member of the Congress Working Committee, showing that in May this year, he was treated for an abdominal complaint and that he now carried on normal activities and had shown himself entirely satisfied with what was being done for him, having expressed his attitude on a number of occasions. Dr. Ghosh had not made any specific request in connection with his illness.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2019