Tihar inmates’ brush with art

A painting and skit contest was held on International Day against Drug Abuse last week

Drugs as the mythological demon Ravan, alcohol as poisonous snakes, a funeral pyre made of cigarette butts...Such stark illustrations have come out of the minds of prisoners at Delhi’s Tihar Jail, especially drug addicts.

Many prisoners revisited their hellish past to paint their thoughts on tobacco, drug and alcohol abuse.

“I read that the government was trying to portray stark bad images on tobacco packets. Though I don’t know what happened outside the prison, we have tried to do that,” Ravi, a prisoner  arrested for doping, said.

“I have been in jail for six months and have realised the value of free life. Once released,  I shall never get into the old habit,” Ravi said.

The paintings were the result of a week-long drawing, painting and skit competition organised among the inmates to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26.

Tihar is one of India’s most guarded and high-profile prisons, but drugs still manage to find their way in thanks to the connivance of some security men and visitors. Eight percent of prisoners are drug addicts.

Two prisoners depicted drugs as the 10-headed demon Ravan in their painting that got the first prize.

Others depicted drugs as a poison tree with a deadly tongue spewing out AIDS, tuberculosis and even jail for some people.

In one painting, a prisoner depicted a funeral pyre made up of cigarette butts with the caption, “My past, My life”. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime is helping Tihar handle its drug addicts and persuade them to give up the habit.

“Look at the paintings...they speak of their past lives. But one thing is for sure - they are remorseful of their past. This will lead them towards a better life,” Jayadev Sarangi, UNODC  prison expert, said.