SURAJKUND: Shades of red, orange and yellow, blended into the twilight colours with deft brush strokes, highlight the breathtaking silhouette of temples lining a ghat against the evening skyline.This picturesque scene, beautifully captured by Subash on canvas, is now on display at stall number 905, along with works of several other artists at the Surajkund Mela in Faridabad Looking at these paintings, one would never be able to guess that they are works of prisoners serving sentence in 14 jails across Haryana. In fact, Subash is a convict from Faridabad jail.In a first-of-a-kind initiative, the Haryana government has put on display paintings and handicrafts made by prison inmates on sale at the ongoing art fair. Stall number 905, 'Muskan - Haryana Prisons' has on sale multiple items, including paintings, furniture, fabric and wooden mirrors, temples, handmade keychains and hangings, all created by inmates."Last year, we received a phenomenal response when we displayed handicrafts and other artworks by prisoners at the Mela. So we decided to put them on sale this time around," said jail superintendent Deepak Sharma, who is also the nodal officer behind the initiative.Sharma revealed that in the last four days of the annual craft fair, the stall has sold items worth more than a lakh, proceeds of which will go towards the prison improvement fund. This fund will be used to buy raw material for the prisoners, so that they can further hone their skills. The idea of hosting a sale came from Yashpal Singhal, DGP Haryana, said officials."The day a person enters the prison, we evaluate him/her on their skills, qualifications and interests, and accordingly train them to equip them with desired skills to earn a dignified living, on leaving prison," said Sharma.A large number of visitors visiting the stall were intrigued and impressed by the concept. "It is a great initiative as it channelises the energy of prisoners in the right direction by capturing their creativity. It also gives them hope that society will accept them when they come out of jail," said Sharad Kapoor, a hotelier from Delhi. who too was in awe of the artworks on display at the stall.Kapoor said that he grew up in a family with police background as his grandfather served in the force. "We still have the made-in-prison durries that my grandfather brought some 45 years ago for Rs 25. They are still as good as new," he added.Other visitors too found that the handicrafts at the stall were of premium quality but cheaper than those available at other stalls.Prachi, a class eleven student from Rohtak was another visitor at the stall. Prachi was so inspired by the idea of the prison stall that she brought back her mother to make a purchase. "We will never know or understand what circumstances forced the prisoner to commit the crime. We need to have some empathy towards them and their families and such initiatives are a step in the same direction," said Santosh, Prachi's mother who works as a Maths teacher in Rohtak.Officials told TOI they have bigger plans for the next year's fair, when they plan to allow prisoners to man the stall. "We're mulling the idea, as it would hone the marketing skills of inmates as well. However, it would need some changes in the prison policy," said an official requesting anonymity.

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