Around 40 km north of Bengaluru sits South Indiaâs first detention centre, in the quiet village of Sondekoppa in Nelamangala, Karnataka. The picturesque village falls under the Bangalore North Taluk and is populated with Kannadiga Hindus, Muslims, Lingayats and some from other Indian states.
The detention centre dubbed a âforeignersâ restriction movement centreâ, existed as a schoolboysâ hostel before the JDS-Congress government assumed power in the state in 2018.
The building was originally built and operated as a hostel in 1992 for students from socially-underprivileged classes by the social welfare department. But after the number of the students lodged in the hostel consistently decreased, it was closed in 2008.
The original structure was refurbished last year with two additional watchtowers, tall walls, barbed fencing, concertina wiring and security around the borders of the centre.
One Of The Watchtowers Concertina Wiring Detention Centreâs Main Gate
It is expected to be fully functional in January next year and according to Amar Kumar Pandey, Additional Director General of Police (law and order), all decks have been cleared for the detention centre.
However, ahead of Delhiâs legislative assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22nd December addressed a large gathering in Ramlila Maidan and stated that there were âno detention centresâ in the country.
Prime Ministerâs statement not only contradicted the Union Home Minister Amit Shahâs repeated assertions over implementing a nationwide NRC and removing âtermitesâ from Indian soil but was also a glaring lie in the face of the nation.
One Of The Cells â Where Detainees Will Be Kept
A continuous volley of media reports and physical evidence prove that the central government is building Indiaâs largest detention centre, 22 km from Guwahati in Assam, which can reportedly house 3,000 detainees. While the massive camp is nearing its construction, authorities in Assam are using district jails as operational detention centres in Dibrugarh, Silchar, Tezpur, Jorhat, Kokrajhar and Goalpara.
In Bengaluru, the centre stands to look new and shines of fresh paint. Apart from having proper cots and mattresses in the cells, there is a small patch of a manicured lawn that will serve as a view for the detainees.
Lawn, Main Gate, Security Office (R-L) New Mattresses and Pillows
An underground water tank with an installed motor along with a kitchen and common bathroom are some of the detention centreâs surprising features.
It is slightly confusing to see the government make facilities such as 24/7 water supply, organised sanitation, new pillows and mattresses available to the detainees who will soon crowd the cells, as elsewhere in the country illegal immigrants have been put in jails â making no distinction between the treatment of a foreigner and a criminal, in jail.
But this isnât due to the state governmentâs grace but the Supreme Court guidelines issued in response to an interlocutory application filed by a Guwahati-based NGO and a petition filed by social activist Harsh Mander that the Karnataka authorities have made this detention centre look closer to a âmovement restriction centreâ and not a jail.
Since several human rights activists cried foul over the deplorable living conditions of the detainees in Assam, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued guidelines to all states and union territories that mandated them to build detention camps in accordance with a few rules â to âmaintain standards of living for inmates, in consonance with âhuman dignityââ.
Therefore the detention centre in Karnataka, that is also South Indiaâs first, is finished in line with the central governmentâs directions.
The local warden who was wary of his involvement with the media told The Logical Indian on the condition of anonymity that all his colleagues â who are currently employed in the upkeep and maintenance of the site, have been kept in the dark over the exact purpose of it. âThey will keep foreigners here. How and when, I do not knowâ, he said.
To reach the location, one has to penetrate deep into the village. It is inconspicuously placed and has a tiny mud road that makes the trail to the centreâs gate from the left of the main roadway.
Kutcha Road Off The Main Road
Sharing a wall with Karnataka Electricity Boardâs (KEB) power plant in Sondekoppa, the detention centreâs placement is hidden, and on a road less trodden by the villagers themselves.
The Wall Shared With KEB
When The Logical Indian tried to reach the location, none of the locals were aware of any such establishment apart from the fact that an old âsocial welfareâ building had been seeing some âactivityâ. On the basis of that, we were guided through the bylanes of Sondekoppa, helping us finally reach the detention centre.
A patrolling party of constables were immediately on their…
