A ‘Book Café’ run exclusively by inmates
Free wi-fi access, fast food items for visitors just above Shimla’s iconic Ridge
Life for Darshan Singh, Jai Chand and Yograj,
who are serving life sentences for murder and other charges at a Shimla jail,
just got more interesting.
Thanks to the local municipal corporation and
jail authorities, the three prisoners from Model Central Jail Kanda will now
run the ‘Book Café’ during the day.
Besides providing books and magazines, their
duties will include giving free wi-fi access to visitors and running a fast
food joint. The café will be run exclusively by the inmates.
“The café will also act like a mini library,
and have books of national and international importance,” said Shimla Deputy
Mayor Tikender Panwar.
The café, inaugurated in the hill town on
Tuesday, is located at a spot called Taka Bench. Situated right above the Ridge
and on the way to the famous Jakhu temple, it will have books on tourism and
history, including those about days of the British Raj, besides piping hot
coffee and snacks.
Darshan, who is the bakery manager at the
café, said: “I’d like to thank the jail authorities and the local civic body
for giving me this opportunity.”
“We’re not sure about [the length of] our
prison term, but we’re free during the day,” said visibly-elated Jai and
Yograj.
Surendra Sharma, a tourist from Faridabad who
stopped by the café on Wednesday, said, “I popped in for a quick peek at a book
on the history of Shimla — Edward J. Buck’s Simla, Past and Present ,
that was written in 1904.” The inmates will also exhibit products made by
prisoners at the cafe, said Director General of Police (Prisons) Somesh Goel.
Bakery products, shawls
Besides bakery products, the prisoners have
been making woollen shawls that Himachal Pradesh is famous for and other
apparel items since the past few years.
“Our endeavour is to help convicts get some
recognition and supplement their income,” Mr. Goel said.
The book café, which received a lot of
publicity before it was opened, will receive logistical aid from the municipal
corporation and the State Tourism Department.
Source | The Hindu | 13 April 2017
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Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior
Manager @ Knowledge Repository
Khaitan & Co
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