Gaushala now at Tihar Jail, offering cow therapy for ‘lonely’ inmates

“No one visits or calls some of our inmates. Such an initiative has been attempted in other countries as well. So, I thought we should attempt it here,” said Director General (Prisons) SBK Singh.

In 2018, a variation of cow therapy was initiated in a few Haryana jails, where prisoners took care of the upkeep of the cows in the gaushala. Internationally, Sweden, which is famous for its minimum security prisons, has also attempted a variation of cow-assisted interventions.

According to Tihar officials, inmates known for their good conduct will be able to avail this initiative in the jail.

The prison had introduced this initiative with a smaller gaushala in jails 2 and 3 as a pilot project. “This initiative positions Tihar as a centre of learning, compassion and transparency,” said a jail official.

Sood said that this is not just an administrative programme, but an important effort to advance social responsibilities with a scientific approach. He added that for inmates suffering from loneliness, cow therapy offers a new ray of hope.

“It is a psychological method that can help eliminate loneliness,” he added.

“Between January 1 and 19 this year, Delhi Police received 25,000 complaints related to stray and abandoned cattle. While our existing gaushalas have a capacity to house 19,800 animals, more than 21,800 are already in shelters. In such a situation, the new initiative at Tihar Jail, where 10 cows have been given shelter so far, may seem like a small beginning, but it is a visionary step,” Sood said.

Further, the gaushala in Tihar is set to enable inmates to earn a livelihood and support their family as Tihar plans to sell ghee, chhach (buttermilk) and puja material from the cow shed.

The L-G, meanwhile, also launched the digital integration of Tihar’s baking school, enabling its products to be sold online through the ONDC network and the ‘My Store’ platform. The third initiative launched by L-G, an Inventory Management System, will enable real-time tracking and procurement of essential items such as food supplies and medicines.

Further, a new website for NGOs working with Tihar was unveiled. Officials said the NGOs can now register for free and upload details of their activities after approval. The platform is aimed at fostering collaboration among NGOs and strengthening rehabilitation efforts.

“There are about 34 lakh NGOs in this country… No one knows who is working on what. Thus, it is very important to scrutinise the NGOs that are working inside the prison, which is a sensitive location – where does its funding come from, what does it do? It will be very damaging if you don’t have this information for a NGO that works with you,” Saxena said.