Women’s prison at Tihar marks 10-yr artistic journey of ‘Tinka Tinka Tihar’

 The Women’s Jail at Tihar Jail, known as Asia’s largest prison, resonated with literary and artistic celebrations on Wednesday as it commemorated the remarkable 10-year journey of “Tinka Tinka Tihar.”

This iconic project, born within the prison walls, has blossomed into a symbol of hope and rehabilitation.

Originally penned by Seema Raghuvanshi, an inmate at Tihar Jail, the poem “Subah likhti hu sham likhti hu iss char diwari mai baithke tera naam likhti hu” (I write in the morning, I write in the evening, sitting within these four walls, I write your name) adorned the outer wall of Tihar Jail. The poem’s powerful message of resilience and transformation inspired the creation of the “Tinka Tinka Tihar” initiative, a jail official said.

The project, spearheaded by Vartika Nanda, a media educator and prison reformer, and Vimla Mehra, IPS (Retd), and the then Director General of Delhi Prisons, produced a groundbreaking book titled “Tinka Tinka Tihar” in 2013.

This book, showcasing the literary talent of female inmates incarcerated in Central Jail No. 6 of Tihar, is being republished by the Tinka Tinka Foundation a decade later.

“Tinka Tinka Tihar” is more than just a book; it encompasses a theme song and a sprawling wall painting on the exterior of the prison walls. In 2013, the book was unveiled by the Union Minister of Home Affairs at the APCCA Conference in New Delhi and has since been translated into six languages.

It offers an authentic glimpse into life behind bars. The poem that adorns the outer wall of Tihar Jail continues to be a source of inspiration for many, as it was inaugurated by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in 2014, Sanjay Beniwal DG Tihar said.

The accompanying theme song was released by Sumitra Mahajan, then Speaker of Lok Sabha, and both the book and song found a place in the Limca Book of Records for their originality. “Tinka Tinka Tihar” received a special mention in Prison Statistics India in 2015, cementing its significance in the realm of prison reform and rehabilitation.

To celebrate a decade of creativity and redemption through “Tinka Tinka Tihar,” Tihar jail officers and staff joined hands to commemorate its success and chart a path for its future, the jail official said.

The book’s re-release event took place in the Women’s Jail of Tihar and was graced by Sanjay Baniwal, Director General of Prisons, Vimla Mehra, IPS (Retd), former Director General of Tihar Jail, H.P.S. Saran, Additional Inspector General (Prisons), and Dr Vartika Nanda.

An inmate who had contributed as a poet in 2013 shared her poems, despite being incarcerated for nearly 12 years.