Band of convicts in Jammu jail

Lending a helping hand to earn a living

In 1957, noted film personality V Shantaram directed a movie “Do Ankhen Barah Haath”. The movie was inspired by the story of an open prison experiment in Maharashtra.

Besides winning some international awards, the film started a trend within the country for reforming jail inmates so that they can live a normal and dignified life once they are out of jail.

Exactly 54 years after the movie was released, the authorities in the Kot Bhawal jail in Jammu are gearing up to allow a band of convicts to perform outside marriage parties and at other public functions. They would do so without any cop keeping a watch on them. After their performance, the convicts would return to the jail. Presently the band performs during functions within the jail.

Inspired by such experiment in a couple of jails in the country, about two years ago, the then director-general (DG) prisons Dr Ashok Bhan mooted the proposal to create such a band in the Kot Bhawal jail.

“The idea behind the whole move was to identify the talent in the convicts serving long term sentences for committing murders, rape and other serious crimes. This is very important because once they leave the jail, they should be able to lead a normal and dignified life,” said Dr Bhan.

He added that once the convict after completing his long sentence is released he or she is unable to take up work at home. “Even their families consider them a liability. This creates problems in the family. We wanted to train the convicts so that after the release they would be able to earn for themselves and their family and become financially independent”, Dr Bhan said.

 “Sending a convict outside the jail for performance needs some more time. This also depends upon the strong trust between prisoners and jail authorities and subsequent increase in their respective confidence levels. I am sure time is not far off when the band will go out and perform before people,” he said.

The former DG prisons said he recently saw them playing national anthem and Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi songs at a function in the jail.

Senior superintendent of Kot Bhawal Jail Rajni Sehgal said she and her staff made the dream of Dr Bhan for creating such a band come true. “We started work in this direction early this year and within a short time we were able to form the band. Even the convicts showed a keen interest. There are about 20 convicts in the band, including a band master. They dress  in red and black uniforms”, she said.

Rajni revealed that a senior member of the band, Narinder, was shifted to the Kathua jail to serve the rest of his term as he belongs to that area. The other convicts, including Bhupinder Singh Mohammad Yasin and Hassan Din, enjoy their performances.

Hassan was involved in militancy and now plays the drums. Mohammad Yasin was convicted of committing rape and now plays the flute in the jail. “This is a good thing which has happened to us. When we move out we can earn for our families and live a dignified life,” Hassan said.

Bhupinder has been in the jail for 16 years. He used to work as a weaver or in kitchen earlier. “I was an unhappy man. But now I feel better since I am in band,” he said.

Kot Bhawal became a full-fledged central jail in 2000. It was taken over by jail authorities from the CID department in 1998. Prior to that it served as a joint interrogation centre (JIC).

Kot Bhawal JIC started functioning in early 1990s as the militancy surfaced in Jammu and Kashmir. The militants from Kashmir were being shifted and detained there. Even militants from across the border like Moulana Masood Azhar were lodged there for a long time. The separatist political leaders particularly those, who are booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), are detained in the jail. Under the PSA, a person can be detained up to two years without a trial in a court. The Kot Bhalwal jail has a capacity for 7,000 inmates but usually 3,000 to 4,000 prisoners are lodged there.

Some times the jail authorities come under severe criticism from separatists, who allege maltreatment of jail inmates.

“Our job is to go by the rules and make efforts to reform those lodged inside our jail”, said Rajni.

A 15-day open theatre workshop was recently conducted in the jail for the inmates. Besides the convicts, undertrials also took part in it. During the workshop, they presented their real life stories. A noted threate group facilitated the workshop.

“The theatre has been badly hit in Kashmir during the last 21 years of militancy. Now it is on a revival mode with the passage of time. Holding the theatre workshop in jails is a very positive step”, said Mushtaq Ahmad, a police official.

He added that the authorities in Kot Bhawal did well by forming the band of convicts.” I think such groups should be formed in other jails also,” Mushtaq said.

But Dr Bhan stated forming the bands in every jail is not practically possible at present as it needs resources. “Initially the uniforms for the band of convicts were given by the police and so was the equipment”, he said.

The former DG prisons stated that besides forming the band, the jail authorities give training in computers to convicts. “The three-month computer training was given to jail inmates some time back”, he said.

Mumtaz Mohammad, a teacher, said such initiative by the jail authorities is a step in the right direction. “Because of the militancy and law and order problems, a lot of people, particularly  youth, are jailed in Kashmir. Efforts should be made to reform them in the best interests of society,” he said.