Udaipur Central Jail prisoners giving final touch to their art piece, more pic at bottom of this article

 The high rock walls of Udaipur’s Central Jail have got a life due to multihued paintings done by jail inmates. This ultra exceptional art project is initiated by Shikshantar, an organization dedicated to up bring education and social reforms.

Nearly 50 hardcore prisoners lodged with some most dreadful crimes like murder and robbery have shown their artistic insight and imagination by painting walls of jail in 8 days; however the project was started from September 29 under the guidance of Blaise Joseph, who is an artist and a volunteer at Shikshantar.

The flecked and dead looking prison walls are now giving a lively look with the inner art of the prisoners. The entire activity was conducted by Blaise Joseph and his team members who encompassed the painting on paper in the initial stage and then painting on outsized walls were carried out.

According to Blaise, “The idea behind this was to realize potentialities, creativity, visual celebration, and enhance human dignity of the inmates as creative beings and more importantly to create an atmosphere of aesthetics in campus to ease their accumulated tensions.”

When asked about the support they received from the jail authority, Blaise said, “Of course we got good support from the authorities without whom it was an impossible task.”

There are nearly 60 panels of various sizes in different areas of jail, painted with vibrant colored figures of Hindu deities, landscapes, village scenes, historical scenes and portraits.

Roshan, who has been lodged for a murder in Gujarat said, “We feel much better now though I miss my family but I am happy that I have painted my second home with my inner art.”

Many other prisoners said that if someone had given us paint brush before, we would not have done the crime we are punished for.

Gaas Ram Choudhary ,Jailor, Central Jail said, “They should be provided with regular training of different skills of their interest so that they can earn their living honestly after going out.” He added that there are many facilities provided by the government are very less or irregular.