A jail journal from Rajiv146;s killer

As Santhan awaits the fate of his clemency petition to the President, the 34-year-old LTTE cadre and close associate of Sivarasan, not just dreams of freedom, but of returning home, Sri Lanka.

He has been working on the 32-page journal for a month now with a five-member editorial team, four reporters, a photographer and three designers, almost all of them lifers. The magazine contains poems, Haikus, short stories and articles on prison activities. The cover of the first edition features a pigeon flying out of the Vellore prison, with a caption: 8216;8216;Is prison a place of penance?8217;8217;

Jail Superintendent G. Ramachandran is not surprised. 8216;8216;Among the prisoners, there are several thinkers and writers. We decided to bring out the magazine to record their thoughts, ideas and poetry,8217;8217; he says. On why Santhan was picked, he says: 8216;8216;He reads a lot of books and is a prolific writer. He has been awarded several prizes for his poems.8217;8217; Santhan plans to enroll for a degree in computer applications.