Jail dept organises Gurbani recital to keep inmates away from drugs

ANJU AGNIHOTRI CHABA KAPURTHALA I FEBRUARY 18 The Modern Jail Kapurthala,which had witnessed arson and violence a little over four months ago,displayed an altogether different scene today with inmates enjoying devotional music (gurbani) and folk music from Rajasthan. A group of foreign Gurbani singers led by Sangeet Natak Akademi Executive Board member Bhai Baldeep Singh,a renowned expert of Gurbani Kirtan in the traditional style,performed in the jail today. Young Manganiar musicians from Rajasthan also performed. The event,which was the first of its kind to have taken place in the jail,was jointly organized by the Jail Department and the Kapurthala Heritage Foundation. The instruments used in the performance were more than five centuries old. DGP (Prisons) Shashi Kant,who was also present during the event,said that the event was organized as an effort to keep the inmates distracted from criminal activities and to create an interest among them in music and the arts. The initiative was taken because the jail had witnessed huge violence recently,he added. ‘Jail reforms under govt’s consideration’ He added that a new jail reforms legislation in Punjab proposes one-year imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 25,000 on recovery of a mobile phone from an inmate. Jail reforms are under consideraton of the government. As many as 721 mobiles had been seized from the inmates in Punjab jails in the past one year,he said,adding that drug de-addiction centres would be opened in jails for the treatment of addicts. On the threats to him by the drug mafia,he said that he would disclose information about them at an appropriate time.