SEEING the unprecedented rush for pakoras at Subhash Chowk, Sabarmati, I too was tempted to talk to the pakora-sellers, who were criminals ealier and had been sentenced to 20-year of confinement. This reminded me of what film-maker, Premji, had tried yo convey through his Meena Kumari and Rajesh Khanna starrer film Dushman in the 1980s.
Criminals were very polite and well mannered. When asked if they were not tempted to run away and escape as they worked in the open roadside, they replied simply “No, because we are not professional criminals but under duress we committed the crime.” In a very smiling manner one of the prisoners said that after working just as one returns to his house, similarly “we return to Tihar Jail with our sales”. The daily sales from them produce amounts to about Rs 20,000, and the whole amount is deposited in the Welfare Fund for Jails because except oil and LPG, everything is produced by our inmates in Jail.
When questioned on how the idea to sell pakoras cropped to their mind, they said , “ Almost four to five years back, the participants in Uttrayan (kite flying festival) were facing some food problems and one of our inmates requested the concerned police officer if they could be permitted to prepare delicious pakoras. The idea clicked and within minutes we collected the required ingredients and soon we witnessed a mad rush for pakoras; the result is before you to see. This has become our source of income. Not only this, there are two more stalls, one of bakery products and the other for furniture which are having good sales of Rs 10,000 to Rs 13,000 respectively.
Criminals were very polite and well mannered. When asked if they were not tempted to run away and escape as they worked in the open roadside, they replied simply “No, because we are not professional criminals but under duress we committed the crime.” In a very smiling manner one of the prisoners said that after working just as one returns to his house, similarly “we return to Tihar Jail with our sales”. The daily sales from them produce amounts to about Rs 20,000, and the whole amount is deposited in the Welfare Fund for Jails because except oil and LPG, everything is produced by our inmates in Jail.
When questioned on how the idea to sell pakoras cropped to their mind, they said , “ Almost four to five years back, the participants in Uttrayan (kite flying festival) were facing some food problems and one of our inmates requested the concerned police officer if they could be permitted to prepare delicious pakoras. The idea clicked and within minutes we collected the required ingredients and soon we witnessed a mad rush for pakoras; the result is before you to see. This has become our source of income. Not only this, there are two more stalls, one of bakery products and the other for furniture which are having good sales of Rs 10,000 to Rs 13,000 respectively.
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