Yes ! you read that right .I've been to prison.But No ! I'm not a murderer!
Few years back ,I had been to Puzhal Central Prison in Red-hills, Chennai as part of community service activities in our organisation.I grabbed the opportunity as I realized it would be a great experience to visit a prison.Not every time do we get a chance to see a prison unless of course you're planning a murder!
Puzhal Central Prison is one among the largest prison complexes in India .We arrived at the entrance of the imposing structure and were let in through a small door within the tall gate attached to the high walls of the prison. We were greeted and briefed by the Police Superintendent - a lady. It was indeed a moment of pride to see a lady in charge of a high security central prison. She deserved all the salutes!
We waited at the security desk as they were getting the security clearances.Our phones were not allowed inside . As we waited ,I checked out the black board in the room which listed out the no. of inmates lodged there . Along with it ,they also mentioned the inmates who graduated from there and others who were pursuing their education.
We were then taken around the prison to see the activities undertaken by the prisoners like a vegetable patch ,sanitary napkin making unit and their library and meditation hall etc.
We were then led to the sprawling ground , where there was a comedy show by a reputed comedian sponsored by the organisation for the prisoners.We sat alongside the police officers on a few benches on the ground ,while in front of us on the ground sat hundreds of prisoners all in white. I had a very unsettling feeling on realizing that I was sitting among the people who were labelled convicts. Some of them looked back at us ,some staring and others quite normal .It was slightly creepy and no matter what the comedian said ,it wasn't funny . There was this thought at the back of my head always " What if ....?" . The show ended and I was sort of relieved!
Our next agenda was doing our part of social work.Our tasks included cleaning and trimming all the shrubbery around the prison and the men had a few heavy weight tasks too.
The ladies were grouped together and we were provided with our necessary equipment. We were also assigned an officer for our security. He was a young officer but wasn't a very chatty person.He took us to our place of work which was an area connecting the central gates and the prison .
It was a very hot afternoon and it was visiting time for the inmates.An alarm sounded and a number of inmates kept walking to the gates to collect their packages .They were all in white cotton shirts and shorts, walking in small groups or some alone.We took turns to do the cutting as we were provided with limited tools.
As we sat under a tree taking some time off ,and speaking to our officer ,we were joined by a tall person probably in his late thirties.He greeted the officer and then us and inquired about how things were going . At first look , he reminded me of a sports teacher - athletic with his muscular arms , sports shoes , Lacoste T-shirt and tracks . He was pretty jovial and seemed learned.He also showed us how to trim the grass properly .The conversation continued for another ten to fifteen minutes. It was then time for him to leave and he shook hands with a few and bid adieu.
As he left the premises ,the previously not-so-chatty officer became talkative. It was now that he made the big reveal !! He said the person who we had just talked to was a prisoner. And not only "a prisoner" but a prisoner who was convicted of multiple murders and was sentenced to 23 years of imprisonment !!! He also added that he had attempted to escape the high security prison twice !!! WHAT THE ....!!!!! Imagine the horror we went through !! Our hearts and minds had mini explosions going on and the ones who shook hands with them were totally shaken!!! It was a clear lesson "Looks always deceive!! ". He didn't arouse even a little suspicion with his mannerisms and neither did we suspect him , as he was dressed slightly different from the inmates. He could've easily passed off as a physical instructor. That was a close call !! Anyway, that was the cherry on the cake and my visit to the prison couldn't have been more thrilling than ever!!!
