Clink-clank, see-saw and a constant screeching sound of welding machines. Under a blazing May sun, rows and rows of men in greasy outfits soaked in sweat, go hammer and tongs at iron rods, cutting them into different sizes, moulding them at the edges, welding them, sawing planks of wood into thick rectangular slices.
There's a reason to their frenzy. These inmates of India's maximum security prison Tihar Jail, have a deadline to deliver the biggest order the prison has received so far.
By March next year, the carpentry unit of the jail's factory — placed inside the jail No. 2 — will have to roll out 1, 20,000 dual desks for the Delhi Directorate of Education schools. The highest the Tihar unit has gone so far was to produce 60,000 desks for these schools last year. Praveen Kumar Sharma, Deputy Superintendent and head of the jail's factory, says, “So it is a challenge for us but we will deliver because we have skilled, dedicated workers.”
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Till now, the unit has handed over 20,000 desks to the DDE since it began work in February this year. Clearly, it has a long way to go. So what you see around you is work and more work. A total of 268 prisoners are employed here. From 8.a.m. till 4 p.m., they roll out around 300 dual desks per day.
Rupesh, one of the two prisoners in charge of monitoring work at the unit, says everyone's work is cut out. “One trained person is put alongside an untrained person so that he can pick the skill and follow the design.” The prisoners are given jobs that fit their attitude…some just break iron rods into required parts, others join them and make holes, some cut wood into planks of required size, a few polish and paint the finished products.
Rupesh and fellow ‘munshi' Jeet's job is to ensure that work progresses. “I came to Tihar 17 years ago, never thought will make chairs, tables and beds one day. I thought of trying it out at the unit one day…
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Prisoners come and go but the skills are passed on. Sometimes, the jail authorities bring in a specialist from outside to teach new designs. Inmate Ram Sinai says he got motivated to work at the unit purely for monetary reasons. “We are paid Rs. 99 per day out of which we get Rs.74 after the jail cuts money for the victim fund,” he says. Warden Sunil Kumar adds, “A prisoner can easily earn Rs. 4500 per month by working at the unit.”
Among all the components of the Tihar jail factory, the carpentry unit accommodates the largest number of prisoners. To create more work space, particularly to make such a huge number of desks, the unit now covers an adjacent area that has unused cells.
Walking along side the warden in the sprawling unit, you discover that not all prisoners are making school desks. A few of them are giving finishing touches to beds, a side board, a dining table and a rocking chair. “These are private orders. Anyone can get wooden things made here, we work like professional units,” he says. With an air of pride, he then points at an array of furniture samples displayed at a huge hall nearby. “Look at these beautiful teak wood sofas, we displayed them at the last trade fair here,” he says.
At 4 p.m., the bell tolls, the inmates quickly line up near the gate for the roll call and it's back to their cells. Tomorrow, you know, is another day but their challenge remains the same.