Part I: Narration
Following is the exact sequence of my visit to the jail. I have tried to the best of my abilities to remember it as an episode and pen it down. It was an experience of a lifetime that shook my outlook of life to its foundations. And to give justice to it, I wish to divide it in two parts. Part one has the actual events. Part two will depict its impressions on me...
We began with the meeting room. The room was divided in two parts with a partial glass framework. And the prison’s side had small cubicle-like structures for security purpose. Both the sections were connected through telephone hand sets with intercom. There was a woman on our side weeping and talking to her husband. Just then another woman came in running with a baby in her hands. She was holding the baby and describing its developments. The convicted on the other side was pressing the glass with desperation and trying to hold back his emotions. We were told the frequencies of such meetings are: for convicted its 20 minutes per month and for under trails its 20 minutes per week.
Next we went to see the actual interiors. They have made a small remembrance out of the cell where Sane Guruji was imprisoned and wrote the famous novel, ‘Shyam chi Aai’. We stopped at all the places where the prisoners worked. We started with kitchen, barracks, furniture shop, handlooms, leather shop, bakery, chemical department, tailoring department and farms. There are only those jobs that demand human labour. They work from 7.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
There were over 2500 prisoners when we visited. They require 600 kilos of vegetables daily to support this number. The measurement of dough of breads and rotis, recipes and quantity is standardised. The quantity fixed per person is 2 rotis and 1 jug of vegetables or curry. If they wish they can buy from the canteen with the distributed coupons. Every prisoner is entitled to spend only 1500/- per month. They cannot have anything from outside. It is mandatory to eat the food made in the prison. They have library to read books, all the gym equipments for exercise, regular and emergency medical check ups and bank transactions to save the earned money or send it to their families or relatives outside.
The attendance is conducted thrice a day. First is in the morning during the wake up call, and only when everyone is seated not asleep. Second one when they are sent for work. And third is when they get back to their barracks. There is a colour code for different categories in which the prisoners are identified. Amongst them some branded as high attention are the ones who have tried to escape the jail once or more. They are called as ‘Lal Patta’ (Red Tagged). This identification is made in such a way that it should be visible from far away. These prisoners have red tags tied on their sleeves which make it possible for the guards to notice them from any distance.
Towards the end, the prisoners who were convicted with life imprisonment put up a show of music and mimicry. The way they sang proved they had inherent talent. They knew the fineness of variations in vocals. It was a fabulous well rehearsed performance.
We left with the view of high security cell from the CC TV. It’s called ‘Anda Cells’ (Egg Cells). It is a round structure which has cells around its circumference and has a grilled opening in the ceiling for sun light. The prisoners who are kept there are never allowed out but for their trials, that too only with high security. They are usually the criminals who are categorised as impossible to be rehabilitated.
The initial 10 days of imprisonment are used for strict observations, counselling sessions and medical check-ups. A report based on this study is submitted to the Superintendent where his barrack location is allotted. According to the staff, they come to know if the condemned can be rehabilitated or not. From the criminals who prove to be harmful to others in the jail as well, to the prisoners who accept everything and transform totally stay under the same roof here. The only difference being, everyone is equally helpless once jammed between the walls.
Following is the exact sequence of my visit to the jail. I have tried to the best of my abilities to remember it as an episode and pen it down. It was an experience of a lifetime that shook my outlook of life to its foundations. And to give justice to it, I wish to divide it in two parts. Part one has the actual events. Part two will depict its impressions on me...
We began with the meeting room. The room was divided in two parts with a partial glass framework. And the prison’s side had small cubicle-like structures for security purpose. Both the sections were connected through telephone hand sets with intercom. There was a woman on our side weeping and talking to her husband. Just then another woman came in running with a baby in her hands. She was holding the baby and describing its developments. The convicted on the other side was pressing the glass with desperation and trying to hold back his emotions. We were told the frequencies of such meetings are: for convicted its 20 minutes per month and for under trails its 20 minutes per week.
Next we went to see the actual interiors. They have made a small remembrance out of the cell where Sane Guruji was imprisoned and wrote the famous novel, ‘Shyam chi Aai’. We stopped at all the places where the prisoners worked. We started with kitchen, barracks, furniture shop, handlooms, leather shop, bakery, chemical department, tailoring department and farms. There are only those jobs that demand human labour. They work from 7.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
There were over 2500 prisoners when we visited. They require 600 kilos of vegetables daily to support this number. The measurement of dough of breads and rotis, recipes and quantity is standardised. The quantity fixed per person is 2 rotis and 1 jug of vegetables or curry. If they wish they can buy from the canteen with the distributed coupons. Every prisoner is entitled to spend only 1500/- per month. They cannot have anything from outside. It is mandatory to eat the food made in the prison. They have library to read books, all the gym equipments for exercise, regular and emergency medical check ups and bank transactions to save the earned money or send it to their families or relatives outside.
The attendance is conducted thrice a day. First is in the morning during the wake up call, and only when everyone is seated not asleep. Second one when they are sent for work. And third is when they get back to their barracks. There is a colour code for different categories in which the prisoners are identified. Amongst them some branded as high attention are the ones who have tried to escape the jail once or more. They are called as ‘Lal Patta’ (Red Tagged). This identification is made in such a way that it should be visible from far away. These prisoners have red tags tied on their sleeves which make it possible for the guards to notice them from any distance.
Towards the end, the prisoners who were convicted with life imprisonment put up a show of music and mimicry. The way they sang proved they had inherent talent. They knew the fineness of variations in vocals. It was a fabulous well rehearsed performance.
We left with the view of high security cell from the CC TV. It’s called ‘Anda Cells’ (Egg Cells). It is a round structure which has cells around its circumference and has a grilled opening in the ceiling for sun light. The prisoners who are kept there are never allowed out but for their trials, that too only with high security. They are usually the criminals who are categorised as impossible to be rehabilitated.
The initial 10 days of imprisonment are used for strict observations, counselling sessions and medical check-ups. A report based on this study is submitted to the Superintendent where his barrack location is allotted. According to the staff, they come to know if the condemned can be rehabilitated or not. From the criminals who prove to be harmful to others in the jail as well, to the prisoners who accept everything and transform totally stay under the same roof here. The only difference being, everyone is equally helpless once jammed between the walls.
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