- Panipat jail radio is the first radio in the jails of Haryana
- It was inaugurated by Ranjit Singh, Jail Minister, Haryana, Rajeev Arora (IAS), ACS, Home, Haryana and K. Selvaraj (IPS), DG Prisons, Haryana on 16 January, 2021.
- Jail radios in the state of Haryana are conceptualised and executed by Dr. Vartika Nanda, Founder, Tinka Foundation
- Jail radios have contributed immensely in improving mental health of inmates
Mahesh and Rohit (names changed) are now the new voices on the Tinka Jail Radio in District Jail, Panipat. Every day they receive numerous requests from other inmates to run programs and songs of their choice. 4 hours of regular broadcast is something that every inmate in the jail look forward to.
Mahesh and Rohit had not imagined that imprisonment will offer them something which will add meaning to their life. Their notion of incarceration took a new turn the day they got selected for the Panipat Jail Radio as radio jockeys. (RJs). Mahesh and Rohit are convicts with a sentence of 20 years. Clearly, the jail radio will offer them to opportunity to deal with stress and depression and do something of their liking. There are nearly 1500 inmates lodged in District Jail, Panipat in the state of Haryana, adjoining Delhi.
The inauguration:
On 16th January, 2021, District Jail, Panipat became the first jail in Haryana to have its prison radio. It was inaugurated by Shri Ranjit Singh, Jail Minister, Haryana, Shri Rajeev Arora (IAS), ACS, Home, Haryana, Shri K. Selvaraj (IPS), DG Prisons, Haryana and Shri Devi Dayal, Superintendent of District Jail, Panipat. Following the success of jail radio in District jail, Panipat, 10 out of 20 jails in Haryana are now empowered with their own radio stations. Selection and training for all these were done by Dr. Vartika Nanda, founder of Tinka Tinka Foundation (TTF0 on an honorary basis. She is also Head, Department of Journalism, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. TTF is credited to conceptualise prison radios in District Jail, Agra (2019), Jails of Haryana (2020/2021) and District Jail, Dehradun (2021).
Radio Jockeys: Jail radio in District Jail, Panipat had started with 6 inmates as Radio Jockeys. These inmates were first selected by TTF during auditions held in December, 2020. Later on, a training workshop was conducted for inmates of 3 jails namely District Jails of Panipat and Faridabad and Central Jail, Ambala. Panipat Jail Radio Revolution। Brut। Year 2022। Vartika Nanda (youtube.com) Out of the 21 inmates selected for the prison radios in these 3 jails, 5 inmates- Kashish, Shrawan, Suresh, Surender and Nimatullah were from Panipat Jail. Another inmate Dinesh joined them later.
Song written and sung by Kashish, an inmate, still resonates on the jail radio every day, keeping his ‘start’ status as the first radio jockey in this jail, intact. This is despite the fact that he was released from jail in 2023. Such is the power of the jail radio.
Recognition & Impact:
In the absence of mulakats (visitations) during Covid-19, jail radio became a major source of relief for the inmates. www.tinkatinka.org. Even today, these radios are contributing in improving the mental and physical health of inmates, giving them a window to lent their feelings, fulfilling their urge for communication and providing them solace. Today, the jail radio is also utilised to promote literacy and education in jail.
“Jail radios in Haryana have resulted in producing more than a dozen songs, publication of 4 research papers, 3 international conferences and a book by National Book Trust (2025). Today, this radio has become a lifeline for inmates.” Vartika Nanda, Founder, TTF
“Several stories of success and transformation have emerged and that continues. This was one of the most satisfying experiences of social service that I got while working with these inmates.” Vishal Sharma, Warder in District Jail, Panipat and recipient of Tinka Tinka India Award in 2022 (Prison Administrator category). This year the award was presented in Central Jail, Sabarmati in Gujarat by Dr. K.L.N. Rao, DG Prisons, Gujarat.
Radio in Prison & National Book Trust:
Today, these jail radios have become an integral part of different jails. A detailed book on the impact of jail radios in India- Radio In Prison– is published by National Book Trust and will be released in February, 2025.
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