The heroes of Tihar

PRISONERS OF THE PAST: PART II

Till some years ago, a sealed railway container spelt a professional challenge for Harjeet Singh (name changed): how quickly he could open the lock and silently unload export quality goods to sell them as scrap.

His 'office' was the Tughlakabad railway station where the wagons would be shunted. No lock or seal was too difficult for Harjeet to crack.

Today, the same container represents an opportunity, but a legal one. After being jailed in Tihar twice in 2002, Singh now owns a small transport firm in Delhi. "I handle vehicles that go to Mumbai. I save around Rs 30,000 per month from my Mumbai operations," he said.

Bhim Bahadur (name changed) was just 12 in 2001 when he killed his South Delhi-based employer who did not pay him for almost a year and subjected him to daily atrocities.

Being a juvenile, he was sent to a remand home in 2001. Now, after being released, Bhim's lifeline is an NGO, Divya Jyoti Jagaran Sansthan, where he is completing his studies while working there.

"I learnt painting, computer and typing in the remand home. I took my Class 10 exam from there itself and now want to continue my studies," said Bhim.

Both these individuals would have been serious risks to the society and in danger of lapsing into their old ways. But both are resolute in not doing so, thanks to the various rehabilitation programmes in Tihar that have proved to be a silver lining for the jail which recently saw deaths of its inmates allegedly due to poor living conditions.

Agrawal Packers and Movers has been recruiting ex-Tihar inmates for the last one year.

"Our recruitment process is based on tough scrutiny. We recruit Tihar inmates on the basis of character certificate and other records from the jail officer. We pay them the same salary and package that we offer to our other employees," said Ramesh Agarwal, joint managing director of the firm.

"Last year, I interviewed an ex-inmate. He had good communication skills, so we appointed him as desk officer," he added.

The combined rehabilitation effort of the Tihar administration and NGOs has started bearing fruit.

"We started the programme in 1993. At that time, the relapse rate was around 27-28 per cent. But it has come down to 19 per cent now," said Sunil Gupta, Law Officer, Prisons.

Though achievements are many, roadblocks abound. "Who do we reform in the jail which has 80 per cent undertrials and 20 per cent convicts?" asks Gupta. "Convicts are receptive to our rehabilitation programme and are not unstable like undertrials who face the dilemma of getting bail," he said.

"Overcrowding is another major hurdle. We handle 13,740 inmates against the maximum capacity of 6,250. Arranging facilities for so many inmates becomes a Herculean task. Also, we lack trained staff. Specialised staff are required to assist such a programme," he added.