On the occasion of International Women’s Day: Awards released in front of National Memorial Cellular Jail, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Two categories– one honoring skill and Kaushal and other honoring art and creativity
· Out of the 5 awardees, one is on death sentence and 3 on life imprisonment
· Femida Hanif Saiyad, lodged in Nagpur jail, Maharashtra, has been chosen for helping the prison administration.
· 38–year old Minaben Harsurbhai Khuman, imprisoned in Central jail, Rajkot, Gujarat has been chosen for teaching children of the inmates lodged in the jail.
· 30–year old, Saroj Devi, lodged in District Jail, Firozabad, UP, has been chosen for her contribution for stitching clothes for the inmates as well as the children of the inmates.
· Awards are initiated by Vartika Nanda, Prison Reformer & Founder, Tinka Tinka, first of its series on jails
5 women have been chosen for the Tinka Tinka Bandini Awards for the year 2018. Femida Hanif Saiyad, lodged in Nagpur jail, Maharashtra, has been chosen for helping the prison administration and also taking part in creative activities inside jail. 54–year old Femidais in jail since 2012 and has been awarded death sentence. She is currently pursuing B.A. second year through IGNOU. She has been chosen under the category of skill and Kaushal.
38–year old, Minaben Harsurbhai Khuman, imprisoned in Central jail, Rajkot, Gujarat has been strongly recommended by the Gujarat Jail authorities for her meritorious services as a teacher. Serving life imprisonment in the jail, she has dedicated herself to teach children of the inmates lodged in the jail. The jail authorities consider her as a role model for other inmates.
30–year old, Saroj Devi, lodged in District Jail, Firozabad has been chosen for these awards for her contribution for stitching clothes for the inmates as well as the children of the inmates. Lodged in jail since 2014, her contribution towards Swachta Abhiyan in jail and also encouraging inmates to play has yielded positive results.
26 year old convict, Muskan Oatwani, imprisoned in Central Jail, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh has been chosen for First Prize in the category of Painting.
27–year old Baby Sahu, convict in Central Jail, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh has also been chosen as an awardee in this category. They have both made sketches depicting the life of women and children inside the jails.
Awards were released at the backdrop of the National Memorial of Cellular Jail, Andamans by Rashmi Singh IAS, Secretary, Social Welfare and General Administration, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The awardees will be presented with a certificate and a special bedsheet designed and made by inmates of Ujjain Prison, Madhya Pradesh. This is an attempt to promote skills inside jails.
About the Awards: Initiated for the first time in 2016, these awards have been conceptualized for women inmates contributing towards the betterment of the jails and showing clear signs of reformation. All these names have been selected after receiving nominations from the officials responsible for different prisons. These awards are aimed to bring change in the lives of the inmates and draw attention towardshuman rights. Tinka Tinka Bandini Awards gives voice to women empowerment inside jail every year on the occasion of International Women’s Day. This is third in row. Tinka Tinka Bandini Awards for 2016 were released by Smt Maneka Gandhi, Union Minister for Women & Child Development.
Background: Tinka Tinka is an initiative by Dr Vartika Nanda, a prison reformer to bring change in the lives of the inmates. Vartika Nanda is the founder of TINKA TINKA, first of its kind in India on prison reforms. Her book, Tinka Tinka Tihar, entered into Limca Book of Records while the latest book Tinka Tinka Dasna is a unique book with reporting form inside jails. She has already written three songs for three different jails. Her website on jails, www.tinkatinkaprisonreforms.or
2 Responses
My heartiest congratulations Dr Vartika Nanda for the steadfast work you are doing on this unique theme. My best wishes for future too for reaching out to esp those women who may be behind bars and yet not guilty of any crime
54-year old Femida,30-year old Saroj Devi, 26-year-old convict, Muskan Oatwani, and 27-year old Baby Sahu, prison administrators chosen for awards this year. Awards dedicated to reformation and creativity within jails. The theme for paintings this year was Dreams inside Jails. Creativity can help one let go of a lot of what disrupts his/her peace of mind. Also, creativity has the potential to introduce someone to appreciation. Appreciation is important in the lives of these inmates because they are already seen as an outcast in society. It’s a hope to any inmate who thinks his/her past makes him/her unworthy of appreciation and just a subject of criticism. It’s high time we break these generalizations that persistently prevail. If someone is willing to change we ought to make it easier for them, that’s what Tinka Tinka Foundation aims for and that’s what they are efficiently pursuing. #vartikananda #tinkatinka #prison