No bars Held

Its one more report, published by Indian Express, long back. Soon AVITOKO will bring its fresh activities for jail inmates and other 'special' people of our society. By the time, go through it and opine. Remember, your opinions value for the their betterment and creativity.   

No bars Held By Indian Express 

Monday August 7, 04:49 AM

Through her theatre workshops, Vibha Rani gets jail inmates to put on a new act. I have been in jail for over three years now, but the past two days were the happiest ever. I always wanted to do theatre and Avitoko gave me that opportunity. Now I am planning to pursue it as a career, once I am out," says Ramnath Helkar (name changed), an inmate of Arthur Road jail, in a letter.

Forty-five-year-old Vibha Rani, the founder of Avitoko, to whom it is addressed, is often complimented with such words. For the past five years, she has been organising theatre workshops for the benefit of jail inmates.

"Two to three years into their stay inside, the inmates' confidence is often shattered. Sometimes causing them to go back their old ways. Through these workshops, I feel I can make a difference to their future," says Rani.

A Hindi and Maithani writer by profession, Rani decided to start Avitoko-Akshar Vishwa Ka Tosh (contentment) Aivam Kosh (treasure)-five years ago. Through this, she now conducts workshops twice a month for inmates at jails in Byculla, Arthur Road, Thane and Kalyan.Using theatre, poetry and art, awareness messages on child marriage, AIDS, sati, child abuse and other social issues are also dispensed.

What has made Avitoko welcome to the prisoners is that ''we never ask them what their crime was,'' says Rani, adding, ''We just tell them that they have immense potential. It is surprising how creative and talented these people are.

"At one session, they came up with some very stunning collages. And it was easy to see that most of them reflected their own story through them.''

Rahul More and Ramesh Owale are serving life sentences at Byculla and Thane jails, respectively। Owale recently won a special judges' award at a national level art competition conducted by Avitoko. Whereas, More, who is a good hand at Warli, has now been given an opportunity to teach his art to other inmates.
साभार - इंडियन एक्सप्रेस