Shedding stigmas around prisons, one mural at a time

When the terms prison and punishment are spoken, dreadful images of crime come to mind. But life behind bars teaches inmates many lessons, leaving most of them with a will to turn their lives around. A group of artists, this Independence Day, is working to free inmates from the taboos surrounding them.

Yogesh Saini, who founded Delhi Street Art (DSA) to enliven the city’s public spaces, has teamed up with an incarceration facility on the outskirts of Delhi to paint murals of the lesser-known facets of Mahatma Gandhi’s life. “We have painted over 40 murals, and a few final touches remain,” says Saini. Masks are mandatory and social distancing protocols are being followed. “We are being extra careful, and restricting our movement,” he adds.

The team has spent around five years working with several jails, and Saini believes that art reinforces positivity. “These are indelible memories for the people of the city, and a positive change for the inmates as well. They stay in our contact even when they’re out on parole or have completed their sentence,” he shares.

Sudhakar Singh, formerly employed with the Central

Etti Bali

Government, was sentenced to seven years in Tihar Jail, and is now with the group. But life after prison hasn’t been kind to the self-taught artist from Delhi, as he found himself out of work. “Ek baar aap jail chale jao toh kuch nahi bachta. Main ek professional driver bhi hoon, lekin ab corona ke chalte koi kaam nahi hai,” he says.

For life behind bars, art often emerges as a ray of hope. Vinod Lahori found a mentor in a fellow inmate. “I used to sketch on applications and letters, but guruji motivated me to take it up seriously,” says Lahori. Talking about his love for art, he says, “Dil ko bahut sukoon milta hai yeh kaam kar ke. Jail mein reh kar maine independent hona seekh liya.”

Sharing his experience of working with inmates, Deepak Saini, a College of Art graduate, says, “A lot of them got to know us, and before corona, we often had lunch together. Art is a way to integrate them back into the society.” Self-taught artist Virendar believes that a person is often a victim of circumstance. “Koi kaise criminal bana yeh aap nahi keh sakte; sabko ek izzatdaar zindagi jeene ka adhikaar hai. Art ke zariye unhe ek behatar zindagi mil sakti hai,” he says.