Harpal comes dressed to the library every day and spends the entire day either issuing books or reading by themselves. Welcome to the Tinka Jail Library in Haryana’s industrial town, Panipat. Tinka Prison library was established on 8th February, 2021. Jail library is located next to the Jail Radio room. It is aimed at increasing literacy level in jail and also to provide ample material to the radio jockeys for preparing broadcasts. Today, inmates celebrated the 2nd birthday of the jail library. On this occasion, a special podcast made by Dr. Vartika Nanda, the force behind establishing jail radio in Haryana and also Tinka jail library in Panipat jail, was broadcast on the jail radio for the entire inmate population. Tinka Tinka Jail Radio podcasts are the only podcasts in India that are devoted to prison reforms. Vartika Nanda, founder of Tinka Tinka Foundation has conceived these podcasts.
About District Jail, Panipat
Constructed in March 2019, this is the modern prison in Haryana. It has a prison population of nearly 1000 inmates.
Jail Radio in DJ, Panipat
Jail radio in District Jail, Panipat started in the month of January,2021 with 6 inmates as Radio Jockeys. This radio was launched by Shri Ranjeet Singh, Jail Minister, Haryana, Shri Rajeev Arora, IAS, ACS, Home, Jail Department, Government of Haryana, Shri K. Selvaraj, IPS, Director General of Prisons, Haryana, Dr. Vartika Nanda, Founder of Tinka Tinka Foundation and Shri Devi Dayal, Superintendent Jail. These inmates were selected by Tinka Tinka Foundation during an audition held in December 2020. Later on, a systematic training workshop was conducted by Tinka Tinka Foundation for inmates of 3 jails namely District Jail, Panipat, District Jail, Faridabad and Central Jail, Ambala. Out of the 21 inmates selected for the prison radios in these 3 jails, 5 were from Panipat Jail. Kashish, Shrawan, Suresh, Surender and Nimatullah. Another inmate Dinesh joined them later. In the absence of mulakats during Covid-19, jail radio became a major source of relief for the inmates.
Many experiments have been done in this prison radio which have not been done in any other jail. Under the Tinka Model of Prison Reforms, this jail radio has already created an important space in the arena of community radio.
Jail Radio Panipat: Popular among inmates
Haryana’s first prison radio completed two years of its transmission on 16th January, 2023. This radio is now an integral part of the jail. With a broadcast for three hours every day, prison radio programs are eagerly awaited by inmates. The radio gives them much-needed relief from their depressive mental state and provides them the opportunity to engage with it either as radio jockeys or as performers. 30 inmates have approached the Superintendent in the recent past to offer their names for the audition tests.
The jail librarian
Tinka Jail Library is now maintained by 33-year-old Harpal, an inmate lodged in this jail. Harpal is a victim who has been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. Harpal was a lecturer before entering the jail, he has done MSC in Mathematics. According to Harpal, ‘I had never worked as a librarian before. For me this is a new experience, which is exposing me to the world of books in a very different manner. I am acquainted with books of various genres and I also get the opportunity to interact with inmates from diverse backgrounds. I had not expected this would happen to me in a prison atmosphere’ Everyday almost 10 books are issued by inmates. Inmates are allowed to issue three books at a time for a period of one week at a time.
Support of Jail Officers
According to the Superintendent of Panipat Jail, Shri Devi Dayal, “this jail radio has a magical impact in the entire jail. Cases related to violence and depression have suddenly dropped and now inmates look forward to the broadcast on a regular basis. Ever since jail radio started, its transmission has not been stopped for even a single day.” Inmates also get constant support from Vishal Sharma, the jail warder. Vishal was awarded Tinka Tinka India Award (under the jail staff category) for the year 2022. This year the award ceremony took place at Central Jail, Sabarmati in Gujarat.
Impact of jail library on inmates
Inmates have now started sharing their tales related to the prison library with their family members over the phone. Kahish’s mother shared that jail radio has certainly given her son a changed identity and a meaning in life. Inmates show extreme eagerness to come to both the jail radio and the library and spend some time here. While jail radio gives them the opportunity to bring forth their creative talents as participants, jail library provides a window to knowledge and wisdom.
About Tinka Tinka Foundation
Jail radios in Haryana are the brainchild of prison reformer Dr. Vartika Nanda. Three books, Tinka Tinka Tihar, Tinka Dasna and Tinka Madhya Pradesh are considered to be authentic reportage on life in prisons in India, all authored by Vartika Nanda. Currently, she heads the Department of Journalism in Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University.
An Appeal
Tinka Tinka is keen to open various such libraries in other jails. Those interested can reach out to them at [email protected].
Link:https://youtu.be/zVd7qVBeLwI
(This article is part of Tinka Tinka Prison Research Cell established in 2021)
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