Tihar’s jail-1 remembers its boarder from Emergency era

On Friday morning, jail officers said they were conducting a painting competition to sketch Vajpayee’s portrait and an essay competition, wherein prisoners were to write about Vajpayee’s life

Away from the cameras and the media glare, inside jail number 1 of Tihar prison — where former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was jailed during the Emergency era in 1975 — about a thousand prisoners came together to remember him. He was earlier lodged in a Bengaluru prison.

During the Emergency, Vajpayee and Jayprakash Narayan were among the many leaders who were lodged at Tihar jail. (HT Archives)

On Friday morning, jail officers said they were conducting a painting competition to sketch Vajpayee’s portrait and an essay competition, wherein prisoners were to write about Vajpayee’s life.

A jail spokesperson said that the authorities have also decided to broadcast Vajpayee’s poems throughout Saturday through the jail’s internal FM channel.

“Most prisoners were glued to the television and saw the funeral procession of the former Prime Minister. Tomorrow (Saturday), across all jails, Atal ji’s poems will be played on the radio for all prisoners,” the spokesperson said.

Between 1975 and 1977 —the Emergency era — many politicians such as LK Advani, AB Vajpayee, Arun Jaitley, Jay prakash Narayan, George Fernandes were jailed in Delhi’s Tihar jail.

Rakesh Kumar, the superintendent of jail number 1, said Jail 1 is the oldest and the only jail in 1975. “Many leaders were behind bars then. We organised the competition in remembrance of our former PM. The response of the prisoners for essay competition was good. We received the essays and will decide a winner on Saturday. The winner of the competition will get a reward of Rs 500.”