VISITORS to Shimla make a beeline for the Mall, the hill resort’s main street, from where they can enjoy a view of the Ridge while sitting on the iconic “Takka
Bench”. After clicking the obligatory selfie, tourists generally head to the Book Café, considered a must-visit landmark by many. This is not so much for the piping hot beverages, yummy snacks or the lovely books to browse through there, but also because of the people serving the customers and those behind the counter.
The Book Café is managed by convicts serving life terms at Shimla’s Kait hu Jail, which is about seven km from the Ridge, and all the bakery products at the café are made by the prisoners.
Last month, residents and local literary figures were up in arms after the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) declared it was going to float open tenders to run the Book Café. The protests revolved around the proposed move, that many felt would be against the very spirit of its formation, and would divest the convicts of a tangible correctional opportunity.
The inception of this café is a unique story. In 2015, Rakesh Kanwar, the then deputy commissioner of Kullu, noticed a dilapidated government building en route his office. Kanwar, known for his unconventional ideas, was shocked to learn that the building was Kullu’s public library where reading enthusiasts would congregate. He then decided to transform the old library into a classy book café.
Bu hikaye India Legal dergisinin November 25, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye India Legal dergisinin November 25, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
PIL, Difficult To Swallow?
In a recent ruling, the Bombay High Court lamented the increasing number of frivolous public interest litigations being filed in courts and echoed the sentiments of the Supreme Court that such litigations are the bane of the judicial system. Is there any way to restrict their misuse?
Till Infertility Do Us Part...
The Calcutta High Court slammed a husband for initiating divorce proceedings due to his wife's infertility and asked him to be a pillar of support for her. Courts have often taken an empathetic view in such matters
IS THAT LEGAL?
Ignorance of law is no excuse. Here are answers to frequently asked queries regarding matters that affect us on a day-to-day basis
The Big Lie
In America, The Big Lie is an idiom used by Donald Trump's opponents and the media to describe his constant gripe about election fraud. Now, it seems more suited to another Republican, Congressman George Santos (right), who has been facing growing calls to resign after he admitted fabricating parts of his resume and biography since his election in New York last year.
Flying into the Sunset
Over 50 years since the first and original jumbo jet, the Boeing 747, took to the skies and revolutionized air travel, the last of the legendary aircraft (right) was delivered to a freight charter company, bringing down the curtain on one of aviation's most successful products.
Star Crossed
Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is a Hollywood legend, having starred in a range of movies, award winning TV sitcoms, and theatre. He was most recently seen in Mission Impossible Fallout, which is an apt description of his current situation.
Walkouts in the UK
An estimated half a million workers have gone on strike, shutting down thousands of schools, public transport and border disruption. It is the biggest day of industrial action for more than a decade.
Myanmar's Misery
Two years after the military coup ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the brutal crackdown by the junta on so-called \"insurgents\" and civilian protesters has reached a new level with the use of air strikes, a new and deadly tactic in the ongoing civil war.
AMERICA'S ANGST
From messy, divisive politics to a series of mass shootings, and now black officers brutally beating another black man to death as seen in bodycam videos, America's domestic convulsions are cause for serious introspection
JUSTICE LEAGUE
There are few judicial appointment procedures in the world that are completely bereft of the overarching presence of either the executive or the legislature, or both. In the end, the judge is left with all the powers vested in him/her by the constitution to uphold the rule of law, within an atmosphere of external influences
