Impact day -- activity thread --happiness behind bars

impacting lives... one act which gives utmost satisfaction!

thats exactly what we tried to do on saturday... it was a program arranged by my office... we had to go to different kind of people and make an impact on them as we supposedly believe that we are eligible for this!

so my friends, sneha, chanchal, hema and me...chose the group which was going to the central jail...cherlapalli, A.P. it was a mixed feeling... i dint quite knw at first if i should pity them or i shud be gettin frustated at the law breakers i was about to meet, interact, smile along with them and make them smile as well..!! do they need it? i dint knw... but i was all ready to go meet them anyway...imagining my so-called nice sober face would impact in being nice to people they hadn't been nice...thinking my eyes would convey that righteous way of life...

we were a group of nearly 100 people from my office to go out there to a central jail where we would find umpteen murderers, theives, law breakers, dowry-asking-brats, bribing culprits...and we had to impact them!

well, so we set off in 3 buses... when we first arrived, we saw at the entrance nearly 25-30 police men guarding with huge guns...i dunno the names of it...thou i guess its AK47. and my eyes caught a couple of healthy , tidy looking men over the window on the first floor... there were wearing white dresses jus like convicts on the TV... amazed that were so happily gazing at us! then came the actual view of a convict...handcuffed, guarded by 4 policemen...and charging to a closed van... the actual imaginable scene of a prison!

the vicinity spread over few miles... i was told it occupied 128 acres...occupants of the area being--- huge green trees, lovly garden, an open air auditorium, agricultural farm, prison cells (barecks and also enclosed prison), 200 police men, 2000 prisoners!!!

we enetered the main entrance... and then from there we had to walk about 20 yards inside only to find a huge open air auditorium... beautiful one i shud say...the walk as well... the gardens well kept, the auditorium well set up...everything maintained and done by the convicts!

we were made to sit there.. the right of the audi was occupied by my company personnel and left, convicts... the ice breaker was one of the personnel who sang a soong... from the prisoners side, there was a convict named jagdish, who put up a good show of mimicry... a very humourous one i shud say. well... very many people put up many different shows... singing, poems, dancing...et all.... there was one exception... one person played flute...and i shud say this, he was awesome at it. he also was unlike a criminal...he was sober, shy, handsome as well! god knows why he ended up in such a place! he also played harmonium. there was a 'gazel' troupe as well... one dolak, harmonium and one singer! and i shud mention this singer to u... he is a scientist! PhD in life science (food processing)... he spoke a better english than any of us! later when i was with one on one with DIG, he mentioned to me that, the scientist killed his wife, cuz she had a relationship with another fellow! "circumstances should not rule us"- was my only thought!... and the best part, i grabbed that sentence from that very fellow who is inside the prison for 8 yrs now, n yet to complete 6 more yrs !

well... i shud also mention to u about the barecks... they r comfortable to liv in... a TV, a pooja shelf, a neat clothes hanger, marble floor and to top it... a carrom board game!

there was a volley ball game for the accused... it was fun cuz many of them were tough competants.

we were all out there...so-called good citizens of India...admist the 'recognized' law breaker...smiling, laughin and having a ball of a time...

accoriding to the IG... the prison is a place where they make the convicts ready to go out and settle back in a peaceful life in the outter world!

i see people who regret of they have done...but .... i am sure they are in a way enjoyin the life there..inside...a pollution free, safe, healthy, friendly environment.

but i believe that this aim to impact these convicts and helping them to smile and learn somthing... during their punishment period is utter senseless... (that might be a harsh word) but my thoughts are.... they hav done a mistake...hurt some soul... should they be given priviledges like learning and earning and enjoying...??? what they are given there is complete comfort... they aren't missing anything but their families whom they hav themselves killed a few, or hurt a few...

if given a chance i would spend a summer there just to enjoy....!!! can u beat that??? thats how it is...!

ofcuz... i shud also mention that... this place is hauted by negative forces... negative thoughts, negative deeds...

but people who r immersed in it would only enjoy the pleasure .... regression is the later part...cuz they r havin what they want in there...! bread, cloth, shelter! .....happiness, these ppl find it anywhere... u knw.... only they dont hav "women and liquor"... which is only good for them...(only they wunt realize its good)...

all in all... i learnt somthing on that day.... "dont allow situations to fall out of your hand. you are your life's control machine."