The Hindu : Other States / Pondicherry News : Prison walls can't dim their spirit

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Thursday, May 19, 2005

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Other States - Pondicherry

Prison walls can't dim their spirit

Rajesh Nair

Five inmates of the Pondy Central Jail are more than halfway towards acquiring a bachelor's degree

TURNING A NEW LEAF: The prisoners showing their first year mark list to Chief Jail Superintendent in Pondicherry. — Photo: T. Singaravelou

PONDICHERRY: `Abandon all hope ye who enter here,' reads the sign at the gates of hell in Dante Alighieri's celebrated The Divine Comedy. The same could apply to those unfortunate enough to be incarcerated in an Indian prison. But amidst the grim confines of the Pondicherry Central Prison, five prisoners are showing that this need not necessarily be so.

It does not matter to them that a good and productive part of their life is already over. They are determined to prove that there can be a life inside those forbidding walls, and outside it, when they walk out eventually after serving their 15-year terms.

The five have enrolled for the distance education programme of the Alagappa University, under the Open University system. Three of them have joined up for a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and the other two for a BA in history. All of them have chosen Tamil as the medium of instruction. Prem Kumar, Veeramani, Loknathan, Manikantan and Pallavan, having already completed the first year, took the second year examinations on Tuesday.

If all goes well, by the time they finish the sentence, they will have a master's degree in their respective same subjects. Three of them wanted to study journalism. "Before completing my sentence, I want to do my master's and then sign up for a short-term course in journalism", says Manikantan. "If my age permits it and media organisations will take me on, I would like to work as a journalist," he adds.

"We have all taken a pledge not to repeat the mistakes that we have committed," Manikantan added.

They spend their days reading up the course books, as there is no power inside the cell. "Every day we study for at least five hours and discuss and clarify our doubts," says Veeramani.

Taking their cue from the five, another 10 prisoners have evinced interest in signing up for various courses.

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