Awards to recognise creative Indian prisoners
On the occasion of Human Rights Day, the inmates and the jail officials were felicitated with the Tinka Tinka India Awards. Initiated by Vartika Nanda, a prison reformer, the awards aimed to bring out the creativity- within the jails- to the outside world. The awards were released by Ajay Kashyap, DG, Tihar.
First Prize under the Tinka Tinka India Awards (Painting) has been given to 73-year-old Baish Singh Sahu, lodged in Bilaspur Jail in Chattisgarh. His painting is based on the theme of ‘reformation inside jails’. second prize has also been bagged by a prisoner of Chattishgarh Jail. 22-year-old Mamta has been chosen in this category. Third prize has been given to Gaurish, lodged in Telangana jail. Before coming to jail, Gaurish was a photographer.
Under the Special Mention category, Vinay Kumar lodged in Tihar Jail, received the first prize for his passionate work on drug eradication
through theatre. He is lodged in jail for the last 15 years. Dhawal Kumar Harish Chandra Dwidedi lodged in Gujarat and Aneesh Kumar from Kerala has been chosen for their work on literacy and cleanliness. Soni Lama from West Bengal has received the recognition for caring the inmates in the jail hospital.
49-year-old Virendra Vitthalbhai Vaishnav, a former journalist, and cartoonist lodged in Surat Jail, Gujarat
has been nominated for Tinka Tinka India Awards for Special Talent. His book ‘Life behind bars’ has been published by a UK based publisher.
Also, fifteen officers have been selected for Tinka Tinka India Awards for prison reforms. Akula Narsimha from Telangana has been chosen for improving sanitation in jails and bringing in modernisation. Bachu Saidaiah, also from Telangana, has planted more than 2000 saplings and
has helped in increasing productivity in the jails. S.S. Tigga from Chhatishgarh has added more than 2000 books to the jail library.
Ajay Bhatia, Neetu Chugh, and Rajendra Kumar were awarded the special awards in the category for prison administrators, for their work towards providing legal aid to inmates in Tihar.
Thomas O.J. from Kerala, D. M. Gohel from Gujarat, Vikrant Karb- hari Kute and Tejashri Baji Rao Powar from Maharashtra, Mohammed Akram Khan from U. P., Dilip Nayak, Devendra Kumar Saras, Ramanand Patel and Dhirendra Singh Baghel from Madhya Pradesh have also been honoured for their extraordinary contribution as jail administrators.
Besides that, awardees were given a certificate of appreciation and a memento. This year, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Telangana, Kerala, UP, Madhya Pradesh sent the maximum entries which were majorly about the ‘Life inside jail’ and ‘Swachch Bharat Abhiyan’.
The initiator of Tinka Tinka series, Dr. Vartika Nanda, was conferred the Stree Shakti Award by the then President of India, Pranab Mukherjee in 2014. Her book ‘Tinka Tinka Tihar’ is in the Limca Book of Records. Her latest book, ‘Tinka Tinka Dasna’, is first of its kind based on reporting from inside the jails. Tinka Tinka Foundation gives two awards to inmates and officials every year namely Tinka Tinka India Awards and Tinka Tinka Bandini Awards.