A Day In Jail
The Indian Quarterly|October - December 2017

Encountering talent, hard work and hope in an unlikely setting

Anjolie Ela Menon
A Day In Jail

In August this year, I was invited to be chief guest at the closing of an art event, Kala Abhiyan, at an unusual venue: Delhi’s Tihar Jail. A 10-day-long art workshop had been held in collaboration with the Lalit Kala Akademi and the results were being exhibited at a cultural festival. CS Krishna Setty, the new chairman of the Akademi, is giving enthusiastic support to these ongoing projects, and several visiting artists are giving of their expertise and time. The sculpture studio has impressive work on display, both realistic and abstract. Abundant quantities of clay and armatures are supplied by the jail and it is evident that the students are encouraged to express themselves freely.

A visit to the jail is instructive. It is situated in salubrious surroundings, the 400-acre campus brimming with old trees, manicured hedgerows and palm-flanked avenues. A dedicated director general, Sudhir Yadav, presides over the whole complex with the gentle air of an affectionate schoolmaster, while running a tight ship with no lapses in security.

This story is from the October - December 2017 edition of The Indian Quarterly.

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This story is from the October - December 2017 edition of The Indian Quarterly.

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