Bhaderwah: Among the 35 inmates of district jail Bhaderwah undergoing training in handicraft skill is hanged JKLF founder’s brother Zahoor Ahmad Bhat who believes the craft would help him to earn a living after his release.
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) co-founder Maqbool Bhat was hanged in Delhi’s Tihar jail on February 11, 1984 and his younger brother Zahoor is lodged in district jail Bhaderwah under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).
He was arrested in 2015 and lodged in a jail in Kupwara earlier.
The PSA is an administrative law that allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years in some cases.
Bhaderwah Jail Superintendent Mushtaq Malla said 35 inmates, majority of them PSA detainees, are being trained to manufacture paper carry bags, flower pots and other handicraft items from discarded material.
“The decision was primarily taken to save the environment from the harmful impact of plastic bags. In the first phase, paper carry bags are being used in jails. In addition, flower pots and other handicraft items have also been gifted to the visitors who liked them a lot. We hope to sell these in markets later,” he said.
He said the initiative to train inmates in various skills is to make them self-reliant and help them overcome stress.
“Real jail reform is when an inmate comes out of a jail, he should not be dependent on his family for survival, but should be able to support himself,” Malla said.
The selected inmates are supplied with old newspapers and magazines, used tin cans, and card boards and to make eco-friendly bags, show pieces, flower pots, and dust-bins, etc.
Prisoners say it has not only boosted their confidence but worked as a stress buster as well. They hope the people outside appreciate their effort and buy these articles.
Zahoor Ahmad Bhat said he was grateful to prison authorities for giving him a chance to rebuild his future outside life.
“I am here under PSA and want to thank the jail authorities for the initiative which has helped us overcome the negative thoughts and the stress besides providing us an opportunity to learn a skill. On our release, we will not have to look for a job and we will be able to earn our livelihood,” he said.
Mukesh Singh, another prisoner, said he has been in jail for the last four years and was suffering from depression after being separated from family and friends.
“After getting busy in training of handicrafts, I am feeling better and on completion of my jail term, I am confident of earning a livelihood without any support from anyone,” he said.
