Aug 15 ahead, Tihar convicts roped in to stitch national flags

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked citizens to participate in the Har Ghar Tiranga (a Tricolour in every house) campaign, traders across the country have been scrambling to meet the increase demand for the national flag.

Convicts in Delhi’s Tihar jail are voluntarily stitching at least 3,000 national flags after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to hoist the Tricolour at their homes to mark the country’s 75th Independence Day celebrations, officials aware of the development said.

The prison department, however, did not release the names or profiles of the convicts who are stitching the Tricolour inside the jail. (HT PHOTO.)

After the Prime Minister asked citizens to participate in the Har Ghar Tiranga (a Tricolour in every house) campaign, traders across the country have been scrambling to meet the increase demand for the national flag.

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The prison department, however, did not release the names or profiles of the convicts who are stitching the Tricolour inside the jail.

Jail officials also said that this Independence Day, at least 21 prisoners are set to be released under a “special remission scheme” announced by the ministry of home affairs on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Previously, convicts were only granted remission (reduction in sentence or jail term days counted as added to a prisoner’s record) on Independence Day.

This year, on June 10, the MHA announced that certain categories of prisoners would be given “special remission and released”.

Some of the parameters set by the ministry include women and transgender person convicts aged over 50 who have completed 50% of their sentence; male convicts over the age of 60 who have completed 50% of their sentence; convicts who have completed 2/3rd of their sentence; physically challenged convicts (with 70% disability) who have completed 50% of their sentence. To be sure, these conditions do not apply to convicts involved in terror cases, death row prisoners, rape convicts and specific heinous crimes. “Twenty-one prisoners fit the criteria. They will be released on August 15 after the government’s approval,” said a prison officer.