“Namaste! This is Vartika Nanda,attempting to create rainbows in prisons.” With these words, India’s leading prison reformer and media educator commenced her talk at the first International Prison Radio Conference in Oslo, Norway, on June 15, 2022, representing India. The conference, organised by the Prison Radio Association in collaboration with the Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Services, was a historic event bringing together participants from over 20 countries. It was aimed at facilitating global knowledge and experience-sharing on the potential of jail radio in humanizing prisons and rehabilitating inmates.
Story of Prison Radio in India
Her 30-minute exhaustive presentation included an overview of prison radio in India and details of prison radio initiatives implemented by her non-profit organisation, Tinka Tinka Foundation, in District Jails of Agra and Dehradun as well as 8 jails of Haryana. More than 100 inmates have been trained as RJs under the aegis of Dr. Vartika Nanda, founder of Tinka Tinka Foundation. Nearly a dozen songs have been released during the course of prison radio training and its implementation.
Nanda also gave a comprehensive view of her acclaimed ‘Tinka Model of Prison Reforms’ that utilizes the power of media and creativity for integrating jail inmates with the mainstream. She respectfully mentioned the support that she has received from government authorities in her efforts.
Explaining the philosophy underlying the jail radios in India, Nanda emphasized the importance of freedom of expression behind the bars for overall progressive development of the society. Dr. Nanda highlighted that Tinka Tinka was trying to sensitize the outside world about the lives of inmates in the prisons with the help of prison radio.
A Confluence of Experiences
The two-day conference included a visit to Oslo Prison and provided an opportunity to study the prison radio project therein. The prison tour was especially designed to help understand the best practices adopted by Norwegian prisons. Participants also shared their views on the logistics, limitations, scope and opportunities concerning prison radio projects. There was a consensus among participants that prison radio can strengthen democratic values and liberties across the world.
The aim of this initiative is to bring about a new change in the climate of the jail.
Which is carried out by the founder of the Tinka-Tinka foundation Vartika Nanda.
Through this radio, the prisoners will defuse their desire to stop communicating among themselves and feel the gamut of music in their lives. This is the wonderful initiative taken by the Vartika Nanda.
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