By Pavani Chandhok
This year inmates lodged in Karnal District jail celebrated Holi in a unique style. They were granted a special permission to do the dry run for their soon-to-be-launched prison radio. Dr. Nanda said that Holi is the festival to fill colours in the lives of inmates through jail radio.
Rehearsal and feedback sessions
The practice session on Holi ran for two hours. All the ten key players of this jail radio, including women, showcased their talent on the microphone. They presented the theme song and radio radio programs like “JINDA HUN”, “MAINE YEH SABKO BATANA HAI”, “CHALO HOLI KA PARV MANAYE”, and MAA MAIN BATANA CHAHTA HOON”.
Inmates are excited
Female inmates Sonia Chaudhary and Jyoti said that the practice for the upcoming jail radio has brought immense change in their lives.
The background
Jail radio has been started in the District Jail Panipat, District Jail Faridabad and Central Jail Ambala. The first prison radio in the state is District Jail Panipat. It was inaugurated by Shri Ranjit Singh, Jail Minister, Haryana, Shri Rajeev Arora, IAS, ACS, Home & Health, Jail Department, Government of Haryana and Shri K. Selvaraj, IPS, Director General of Prisons, Haryana in January this year.
The second phase of prison radio will cover jails of Karnal, Rohtak , Gurugram and Central Jail number 1, Hisar. The preparation in District Jail Karnal is almost over. Shri Amit Kumar, Superintendent Jails, Karnal and Ms Shailakshi Bhardhwaj, DSP have worked hard to make it a success.
An intiative by Tinka Tinka
Prison Radio in Haryana is the brainchild of Dr Vartika Nanda. She heads the Department of Journalism in Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. She has launched Jail Radio in District Jail Agra in 2019. She is the founder of Tinka Tinka movement on prison reforms. She has trained all the 46 inmates of Haryana Prisons and have conceived and conceptualized the idea of prison radio. She was conferred Stree Shakti Puraskar by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee in 2013 for her contribution in creating awareness on women’s issues through media and literature and has been Included twice in the Limca Book of Records for her work on prison reforms and human rights.
She has been engaged in action-oriented prison research using the tools of journalism. Her action-oriented research on prisons was taken cognizance by the Supreme Court of India. Participated in the Supreme Court in India in 2018. in the matter of “Inhuman conditions in 1382 prisons” 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.
Story by: Pavani Chandhok
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