By Pavani Chandhok
- These are exclusive awards for inmates and jail staff
- Awards have entered 7th year of celebration
- Awards are introduced by prison reformer Vartika Nanda
Tinka Tinka Foundation has invited inmates and officers/ administrators to send their entries for Tinka Tinka India Awards for the year 2021. All inmates and children living in prison and prison officials and the staff can apply for the awards. The award categories are painting, special talent, and outstanding contributions by jail staff. The last date of submission is 12 November, 2021.
This is the 7th year of Tinka Tinka India Awards. These are the exclusive awards for inmates and jail staff and administrators. Started by Dr. Vartika Nanda, these are aimed to encourage inmates to exhibit their creativity, highlighting the issues of jail reforms and human rights.
Theme for awards this year is Telephones in Jail. Telephones are a lifeline for inmates, especially during Covid-19. With a complete ban on visitations in jails, this has been the sole source for inmates to connect with their families and friends. Interestingly, people started noticing the role of telephones in jails after Aryan Khan, son of Shah Rukh Khan, connected with his father and mother through a phone call from Arthur jail in Mumbai.
More than 110 inmates and 37 jail staff have received Tinka Tinka India Awards between 2015 to 2020. Every year, a prison related issue is chosen as the theme. It has helped inmates express their emotions and creative talents, enabling them to even apply for remissions.
Vartika Nanda is India’s leading prison reformer. President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Stree Shakti Puraskar on her in 2014. Her name has also been included in the Limca Book of Records twice for her unique work on prison reforms. Her recent research on the “Study of the condition of women inmates and their children in Indian Prisons and their communication needs with special reference to Uttar Pradesh” (ICSSR 2019-20) has been evaluated as ‘outstanding’ and recommended for publication. Her work on prisons was taken cognizance by the Supreme Court of India in 2018.
She is credited to have selected, trained and helped in the execution of prison radios in District Jail, Agra, jails of Haryana and Uttarakhand. These are an outcome of sustained engagement and prolonged interaction with inmates.
Youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW4VD5Z7XO0&t=9s
#vartikananda #tinkatinka #vartikanandaindianprisonreformer #awardsforinmates #tinkatinkafoundation #tinkatinkaindiaawards #uttarpradeshjail #jail #mha #prisonreforms #haryanajail #jailradio