Prison reformist Vartika Nanda who started unique jail radio for inmates now begins podcasts for Delhi Police
New Delhi, January 17
Veteran journalist and prison reformist Vartika Nanda is now hosting a podcast for Delhi Police to give a platform to the police to express themselves and highlight the unsung heroes in the force.
Vartika Nanda pioneered the work in prison reforms and started her initiative ‘Tinka Tinka’ the first of its kind to give a voice to the inmates in India’s jails, bring literacy, skill development and provide human rights to the prisoners.
Vartika Nanda also heads the Journalism Faculty of the Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. Nanda is also one the first woman crime journalist in broadcast industry of the country.
In her first podcast for the Delhi Police ‘Kissa Khakhi Ka’, Vartika Nanda has narrated the story of a Delhi policeman, constable Than Singh who teaches underprivileged children in the national capital.
Than Singh ki Paathshala has been teaching kids since 2016. He has been spending money from his pocket to get books and stationary for them.
Speaking to the BW PoliceWorld magazine, Vartika Nanda said, “The audio has its own potential and the power to reach masses in a unique way. Police contribute a lot to the society but often their work goes unnoticed, specially the lower rung officials”.
“This podcast is about telling a story with facts and figures on those heroes of police who need to be heard, understood and reached to the masses. There are policemen doing lot of work beyond policing from teaching children in slum quarters to aiding de-addiction of the youth, providing jobs to aiding those who have no family. Their stories need a voice”.
Vartika Nanda started a unique initiative of jail podcast under Tinka Tinka which is a rare opportunity for the prisoners. The prisons in India does have a system of educating, training and giving work opportunities to the prisoners under the prison reforms.
However, Tinka Tinka is much more than giving opportunities to the prisoners but lending them that support which helps them to talk and walk towards change from within.
Vartika Nanda said, “The prison radio is helping a lot of inmates. With the help of the prison radio, they are getting an opportunity to talk. I talk to them every day regularly and hear them out. Their families have noticed a positive change in them and parents of many inmates have informed me that their child has evolving”.
She added, “The inmates are getting to learn new techniques, working on their strengths, developing and exhibiting that art or talent which is lying hidden within them and if shaped and aided, it can help them start a new life in future. We are calling it Tinka Model of Prison Reforms and we hope that this could be adapted and implemented by the government”.
The prison radio in Haryana has completed one year now. The jail radio is active in seven jails where 34 podcasts have taken place. The inmates have become Radio Jockeys, talking and narrating radio programmes.
One of the inmates of Ambala Central Jail, Sheru now called RJ Sheru had penned down a song on ‘Corona’ which got so popular that former Cabinet Minister Harshvardhan had even appreciated Sheru’s song on social media.
Nanda’s work in Tihar Jail, Dasna Jail, MP, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP has many stories to narrate on the lives of the inmates. Vartika Nanda’s podcast on Dasna Jail of Ghaziabad gives us an insight into this prison that has persons arrested in high profile cases like Nithari killings and Aarushi Talwar murder case.
The wall of Dasna Jail filled with paintings including the one made by Talwars show the flame of hope and change that keeps burning in the heart of every inmate there. 13 inmates of Dasna jail sung a song in a specially arranged programme under Tinka Tinka initiative. The song was conceptualized and written by Vartika Nanda.
The jail radio of Tinka Tinka has become a phenomenon among not only among the inmates by also police and law officials who have encouraged this initiative.
The police authorities have also appreciated Vartika Nanda's efforts and gave assurance of reforming the inmates and the prisons through Tinka Tinka initiative.
The prison authorities in Delhi mentioned that although they have many educational, vocational and skill development programmes already for the inmates however it is the initiative bof the radio that is nurturing their skills of talking, expressing, narrating stories, composing music and showing a creative side which is unknown to their own self.
Vartika Nanda has also written some key books on prisons- Tinka Tinka Tihar, Tinka Tinka Dasna, Tinka Tinka Madhya Pradesh.
