TTIA 2018

Tinka Tinka India Awards: Honouring Inmates & Prison Staff : Dreams inside Prisons

Exclusive awards for inmates & prison administrators

Highlights

• 12 inmates and 9 prison administrators were chosen for awards in 2018
  • 3 main award
  • 5 consolation prize
  • 4 special mentions
• Awards were dedicated to reformation and creativity within jails
• The theme for paintings this year was ‘Dreams inside Prisons’
• Prison Reformer Vartika Nanda is the founder of Tinka Tinka Foundation, aimed at connecting prisons across India
• Awards were released by Dr. A P Maheshwari (IPS) DG, BPR&D, Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri. Bhupinder Singh (IPS), DG Prisons, Rajasthan, and Vartika Nanda, Founder, Tinka Tinka Foundation
• The awards were given at Central Prison, Jaipur
• Three categories–Painting, Special Talent and Awards for Jail Administrators
•  

The theme for the painting section this year was Dreams Inside Prison.

Raja Ram, 33, lodged in Bhatinda Central Jail, Punjab, was awarded the first prize in the Tinka Tinka India Awards ‘Painting’ category for this year. Raja has been working on making paintings on Punjabi culture with the objective to revive Punjabi heritage. He was chosen for this award for his painting, “The Dreaming Kids” depicting two children, one poor and the other rich, dreaming for a better life. The poor child is dreaming of food while the rich child is holding a laptop. This illustration highlights the limitations experienced by children in pursuing their dreams, with either of their parents in prisons. Indian prisons have more than 1800 children living in such circumstances, demonstrating the magnitude of the issue depicted.

Shobha Ram, 36, lodged in Central Jail, Bilaspur, Chattisgarh won the second prize for his sketch titled “Ai Dhairya kee Kashti har Toofan se Nikaal”. Previously a farmer,   Shobha Ram has been lodged in prison for the last 8 years.

Sudeb Manmohan Pal, 36, a convict in Nasik Central Jail, Maharashtra was chosen for the third prize for his painting titled “Nothing Lasts”. The painting depicts a melting candle and a house, reflecting the inmate’s desire to return to the free world. With degrees from commerce and engineering to fine arts and fashion photography, he has brought color inside the prison.

This year, five inmates were additionally chosen for the consolation prize.

Aakash Suresh, 28, a convict in Central Jail, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh was chosen for his depiction of change. With a pigeon at the centre representing peace, his pencil sketch stands out with its remarkable themes of positivity and creativity. The image also features glimpses of various impactful schemes launched by both the government (including Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan) and NGOs to support them.

Manish Babubhai Parmar, 41, a convict in Ahmedabad Central Jail was chosen for his painting depicting a man helping a woman come outside the prison to start a new life.

Pancham Rathore, age, lodged in Central Jail, Bilaspur was honoured for his painting depicting an inmate reflecting on the passage of time with deep remorse. The inmate is dreaming of coming out of prison and making a contribution to society, demonstrating his rehabilitative growth.

Ramesh Patel, 22, lodged in Central Jail, Bilaspur demonstrated his desire to be accepted into and embraced by society after imprisonment. While he is on life imprisonment, his spirit is inspiring.

Mrityunjay Das, age, lodged in Mumbai Central Prison, made an image of a girl with beautiful eyes. She is holding a rod intended to represent her desire to see the outside world.

Four inmates were chosen for awards under the category of Special Mention.

Chintan Vidhyasagar Upadhyay, 46, lodged in Thane Central Jail, Maharashtra, was chosen for his notable contribution teaching painting and artistry techniques to his fellow inmates, being a visual artist before imprisonment. He has additionally trained inmates in the practice of Warli painting and even designed and implemented a novel workshop along with Dabur Pathway on the same. Initially he went into deep depression following his incarceration but later on, he renewed his love for painting. He has since created almost 20 paintings of his own design inside jail, one even being purchased by the noted film producer Kiran Rao for the price of 4.5 Lakhs. 

Ravi Shankar,42, a convict in Central Jail, Bilaspur, has a life sentence and has already spent more than 12 years in prison. Following his incarceration, he has completely transformed himself  and emerged as a healer and spiritual leader in the prison setting. He uses his spirituality and beliefs to aid other inmates in leaving behind their criminal past and contributing to society. His newfound interest in art is demonstrated by a recent pencil-sketch portraying the theme of reformation in prison with a hand holding a handcuff and key against the background of light and hope emanating from outside. 

Vasudev, 36, lodged in Model Jail, Chandigarh, was nominated for his extreme dedication in helping in the jail kitchen, providing great help to the prison administration. The jail officials strongly expressed that his presence brought about huge difference in the prison kitchen and he also made notable contributions to the aanganwadi.

Amritan Mondal, 39, a convict from Kolkata, West Bengal under life imprisonment, was a skill development trainer and continues his practice from prison. He was nominated for his work in crafting artisanal products, especially using jute, and for inspiring his fellow inmates to engage in social enterpreneurship. 

Nine administrators were chosen for the Tinka Tinka India Award for Administrators this year. Out of the nine, three lady officers bagged this award. 

Basheera Begum, 57, Superintendent of the Special Prison for Women in Chanchalguda, Hyderabad, was chosen for playing a vital role in running a women petrol bunk with female inmates released from the Telangana Central Prison. She has received three gold medals for several meritorious services as a prison officer. She additionally took on the special endeavour to get admission for the children of inmates in schools of Hyderabad, promoting their education and development to help them overcome their limitations. 

Rani Rajaram Bhonsle, 36, Superintendent of  Central Prison, Nagpur Maharashtra was selected for her initiative organizing a telemedicine facility for ailing prisoners as well as initiating training sessions for female inmates on making sanitary napkins. 

Monika Agrawal, age, Superintendent of Mahila Jail, Jaipur was recognized for her praiseworthy contribution in creating a creative environment inside prison. Through encouraging prisoners to innovate sustainably from scrap, she has managed to introduce both tradition and culture in the prison.   

Shashikant Mishra, 52, Superintendent of District Jail, Agra, was chosen for his contribution in engaging many NGOs to bring their reformative efforts inside the criminal justice system and also for working towards the rehabilitation of inmates. Furthermore, he has undertaken the task of providing education to children of inmates.

Avtar Kishan Saini, 53, Assistant Superintendent of Hoshiarpur Central Jail, Punjab, was chosen for his special contributions in helping inmates in cases related to human rights by providing them with dedicated legal aid and support.

Manas Ram Thakur, 49, Honorary Head Warden of Modern Central Jail, Kanda, Himachal Pradesh, was selected for his exceptional work in the Khadi and Tailoring Unit of the prison. He has shown extraordinary managerial skills and acumen in the production and marketing of Khadi products as well. At the time, he was managing 21 inmates working in the Khadi Unit and 22 in the Tailoring Unit.

Shailendra Namdev, 45 from Central Jail, Madhya Pradesh was chosen for his meritorious work in fostering an appreciation for art within inmates. He uses his expertise from his Ph.D in fine arts to lead group of inmates and facilitate their artistic skill development.

Pradeep Raghunandan, age, was awarded for his reformative campaigns in the social sector in Etah Jail, Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, he has made notable efforts towards the education of inmates and their children as well as acquiring books for the jail library.

Sanjay Yadav, age, Superintendent of Central Jail, Jaipur, was recognized for his contribution in helping inmates develop their artistic skills and gain financial independence, vital for their rehabilitation and productive contribution to society.

The mementoes for this year were made by Radha Mohan Kumavat and Noor Mohammad lodged in Jaipur Central Jail, Rajasthan.  Radha Mohan Kumavat, 35, was awarded the Tinka Tinka India Award in 2015. Radha Mohan Kumavat was a teacher with MA and B.Ed degrees and an avid reader before his incarceration. Noor Mohammad, 46, has been in prison for the last five years and is an artist with extraordinary grasp over working with silk thread. The backdrops this year were designed by Dev Kishan, age, another inmate from Jaipur Central Jail. He was recognized by the Tinka Tinka India Award in 2015.

Awardees were given a certificate, a memento made by inmates and a copy of the Tinka Tinka Madhya Pradesh. Vartika Nanda is credited to have started Tinka Tinka, a unique movement targeted towards nurturing creativity, rehabilitation and reform in prisons. She curated the concept of awards for inmates for the first time in India. Two awards geared exclusively towards inmates – Tinka Tinka India Awards and Tinka Tinka Bandini Awards– were introduced to encourage inmates to engage in artwork, literature and research on human rights issues. These awards are celebrated on Human Rights Day and Women’s Day, respectively, every year. Her latest work on prisons, Tinka Tinka Madhya Pradesh, is another milestone in which 19 reflective souls have joined hands to create a rainbow from inside jail. These evel include four children too, of which three were born in prison itself. The aim behind these awards is to connect the prisons of India in a united effort towards rehabilitation and foster the artistic and creative capacity of inmates and prison administrators alike.