Taste of rehabilitation: Pune prison’s life convicts are now serving hot Vada Pav and Kanda Bhaji

“I cannot erase the dark phase of my life but I have a choice to move on. I hope that working at this restaurant, with other inmates with the same goal, will help me achieve that,” says another life term inmate — convicted for the murder of a neighbour — who is on helping duty in the kitchen, as he prepared the paav breads for the vada pavs.

Maharashtra’s Department of Prisons and Correctional Services on Wednesday launched the first of the chain of restaurants that it is going to launch at prisons across the state.

The initiative titled “Shrunkhala”, which means series or chain, will have eateries set up and managed by the prison inmates and will cater to citizens. The first unit, which has been set up just next to the Yerawada Open prison, aims to serve a large working population at business hubs and commercial centres in the area. Initially the restaurant will have a staff of 15 inmates, seven on kitchen duty and eight more for service — all of them serving their life sentences for murders. The administration plans to take this number to 25 as business grows. The inmates staffed at the eatery have been given a uniform of T-shirt and pants.

The present menu of the restaurant includes the staples of Maharashtra snacks including vada pav, misal pav, kanda bhaji and other usuals like samosa, pulao, rice plate, vegetable curry and roti, pav bhaji along with hot beverages. “We chose to have the usuals on the menu because they are easier to start with. But we plan to expand the menu with some quintessential Marathi dishes and some items for the calorie conscious customers,” says Anil Khamkar, Superintendent of Yerawada Open Prison. “A few of the inmates working already have the skill sets like cooking and working in the kitchen, some have volunteered. We plan to keep one batch for a specific period and then bring in another batch to run the facility and so on,” Khamkar added.

The project has been initiated with support from the Pune headquartered Finolex Group. Officials said that earnings from the restaurant will go to the welfare fund for the inmates and those staffed here will get the stipulated daily wages that they get for their work in prison.

State Prison Department chief, Additional Director General of Police Amitabh Gupta said, “One of the key elements of the correctional ecosystem for inmates is preparing them for the world outside when they complete their sentence. A facility like this will not just give them confidence to assimilate into the society but also equip them with the skill sets. We already have a laundry facility, salon, vehicle service centre and a community hall fully managed by the prison inmates that caters to citizens. This restaurant is an addition to that list.” Gupta commended the efforts by Inspector General Jalindar Supekar and Deputy IG Swati Sathe towards the launch of the restaurant.

“A small portion of vegetables, grains and milk used at the restaurant will come from the Open Prison’s farm and dairy. Remaining will be procured from the market. The design of the restaurant structure, its interiors, seating arrangement, kitchen is all by the inmates and so is its construction. There are many inmates in the open prison with skills and temperament to utilise them for good cause. We just have to be the facilitator.” said Khamkar.

A 43-year-old serving life sentence for murdering a man during a fight, says, “Many of us have landed here because for one moment something snapped and we ended up taking a life. Our families have gone through the worst. Since then I have clinched every opportunity to do things right. From what I learn here, I want to go back to my family and start my life again.”

Another inmate, who briefly worked at a vada pav stall before he was arrested and sentenced for murder in 2013, says, “Life has come a full circle. I will try to learn the business here. I may not do the same job when I get out of here, but I will have gathered the experience.”