Some of the verses in the book have also been set to music.
Penulis: Jasvinde Sehgal
Editor:
A book of poems written by women in jail has been launched at the Jaipur writers festival, Asia’s largest literature festival.
Dr. Vartika Nanda recites a Poem written by a women prisoner called Rama.
This poem is from a collection that Dr Nanda has edited together.
“A sign of cry prevails in the captivity of the cell, A life without mother's care, without feels of a child, a child loves and cries both, without the warmth of the family.”
The book also features photos taken by the women prisoners who are serving time in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
“One of the unique feature of this book is that when you look at it, you just see the images. So there are images all over and then you have to cut down the pages and then you will get the poetry.”
Some of the verses in the book have also been set to music.
This one is called “Tinka Tinka Tihar” sung by male inmates...
The first editor of the book Preeta Bhargava, was the first woman jailer in the state of Rajasthan…..she is also a poet and greater believer in the power of literature.
“Although we imprison the criminals in jail physically but we can't capture their thoughts and minds. The heart and brain can never be imprisoned so we counsel them and make them understand that there is still time to transform and change.“
Vartika, who is a journalism lecturer, recites another poem written by Seema Raghuvanshi who is in jail for murder... called “The hope to live”..
Around five thousand copies of the book have been published and the profits from their sale will go to a fellowship to empower female prisoners.
