Inmates to run radio stations in Haryana jails

Haryana government in a mission to reform and instil positivity among jail inmates, decided to set up radio stations in prisons across the state. Prisoners would create, broadcast content for the radio and till December 30, 21 inmates were trained.

Chandigarh:Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government has decided to set up radio stations in jails across the state to entertain and reform the prisoners.

It is learnt that all prominent jails would have radio stations handled by the inmates, who would perform as radio jockeys and journalists for the radio channels. The state police department and Tinka-Tinka, an NGO, took the initiative to introduce radio stations in Haryana jails.

Till December 30, 2020, 21 inmates from Panipat, Ambala and Faridabad were trained and in the next few weeks the radio stations are expected to start working, sources said.

Vartika Nanda, president, Tinka Tinka, told ETV Bharat here that 21 prisoners, including five women, were chosen and trained to work as radio jockeys and journalists with the proposed radio stations in the jails.

She said the number of inmates working for the radio channels could also be increased in future.

Law, health and music would be the subjects for the jail radio stations. The inmates could even share their own stories and poems with the listeners, she said, adding that they could send their music requests or questions that would be answered or played in the next programmes.

A list of artists, who could participate in the programmes, is also being prepared. Interestingly, the jail radio signature song and its tune have been prepared by the inmates only.

Nanda, who also heads the department of journalism of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, was awarded 'Nari Shakti Puraskar' in 2013 by the then President Pranab Mukherjee.