The inmates of the Model Central Jail Kanda, Shimla are learning an altogether, a different lesson of life, which they have never done, under the guidance of a reformist cop, Susheel Kumar Thakur.

Susheel Kumar Thakur is posted as Superintendent Jail at the Model Central Jail, is spearheading a literacy campaign for the illiterate inmates.

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“It is a universally accepted, that illiteracy is one of the reasons of crime, hence the basic objective is to educate those illiterate inmates so that they become self-reliant in reading and writing and also in numeric,” said Thakur.

Furthermore, to stop the undertrial from becoming second-time offenders, literacy can help in rehabilitating the inmates so that they become self-reliant, empowered when they walk out free, he said.

Thakur has worked in the prisons department in various capacities since 1998, until he assumed the charge at Model Central Jail Kanda (Shimla) in September 2017.

In addition to his more than two decades experiences in dealing with the inmates, his teaching background to educate the inmates has come of great help.

Having served as a government teacher for about ten years before joining the Directorate of Prisons  and Correctional Services, Thakur is well equipped not only to teach, but also to motivate the inmates, especially those who have never even gone to school or even those who had never held a book in their hands all their lives.

The prison is holding special classes on voluntary basis, about three hours daily, where age is no bar. There are about 40 odd students (all undertrial) who are of different age groups, the youngest is 19 year old, while the eldest is a 67 year-old undertrail.

Learning the lessons which he has never ever done until last year, Badhai Prasad (65) an undertrial here since 2013, has meticulously picked up reading and writing the printed letters in the book which had once been Greek to him.

As he reads the Hindi alphabets and sentences, a smile brightens up his face.

“My family members will be surprised of my newly attained reading and writing skill, which they are oblivious of,” he said.

A youngest undertrial, Biki (19) a Nepali national facing trial under NDPS since 2016 said, “Assisting my family to earn a livelihood since childhood, had always kept him away from books and school. Now I am trying to utilize the opportunity to learn what I had missed.”

“The literacy programme has been adopted as part of the enriching programmes so as to motivate the inmates, while preparing them for their smooth return to the community. Since no other activity is given to the undertrial and there is lot of time it was decided to utilize this time for the best in their interest, “said Susheel Kumar Thakur.The inmates are being taught ‘Him Sandesh’ books part one and two, a curriculum designed for adult education by the State Resource Centre, Shimla.

He disclosed that for other inmates who wish to continue their higher education are allowed to enrol themselves for various courses under Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).