Gurugram inmates win inter-jail music contest

On Sunday morning, Bhondsi Jail reverberated with the dulcet sounds of Sufi, Qawwali and folk music. In a unique initiative, the Bhondsi jail authority conducted an inter-prison music competition for the inmates of Ambala, Rohtak and Gurugram jails. This was the first such music competition to be organised in the state.

The Gurugram inmates emerged the winner in the music competition. Ajmer Singh, 35, who is lodged in Bhondsi Jail since 2012, was declared the best singer.

Last year in January, a talent hunt was organised in the three district jails to help inmates channelise their energies more positively and stay away from crime once they walk out of prison. This Sunday marks a year of the launch.

Twenty inmates showcased their vocal and instrumental skills across a variety of musical genres, such as Sufi, Qawwali, folk and western. These prison inmates were trained under the guidance of professional musicians under an initiative called Dhun.

Dhun is an attempt to enhance the talent of male prison inmates in music so that it can become their source of livelihood upon their release. “Inmates inside the prisons underwent training for a year to participate in the competition.?They were trained under the guidance of professional musicians from various platforms,” Bhondsi jail superintendent Jai Kishan Chillar said.

Earlier in January last year, the jail authority had revamped one of the rooms in the prison premises as a music room. The NGO, India Vision Foundation, provided the jail with musical instruments, so that the inmates could hone their musical skills.

The top three winners will now get a chance to pursue their musical careers. They will also benefit from their careers in monetary terms,” said Chillar.