Paintings enliven dead lock-up, police station in Gujarat
Some paintings inside the police lock-up
AHMEDABAD The lock-ups of the police stations are never a pleasant sight. Dilapidated walls with spit marks, undertrials cramped inside and filth all around make people cringe.But Himmatnagar rural police station is quite a contrast for its interiors. Huge wall paintings, many of them giving out social messages, greet visitors as soon as they enter. It does not end here. The lock-up walls too are beautifully painted with messages like “Apradh chhodo, parivar bachaao’ (Quit crime, save family).
Those lodged inside are bewitched seeing the soothing artworks that give out messages on the need to save water, cleanliness and patriotism besides promoting a change in lifestyle.
The initiative is the brainchild of Premsukh Delu, assistant superintendent of police (ASP), in-charge of Himmatnagar rural police station, who is on a three-month probation as an IPS officer.
“The aim behind this idea is to develop a citizen-friendly environment inside a police station where anyone can express his problem to the officials without fear or insecurity,” Delu told TOI.
Delu roped in common people like government schoolteachers for painting the police station walls and lock-up. “We did not want to rope in professional artists. This in a way will help people feel it is their initiative,” he said.
Delu said there are several benefits of this project. “Convicts, who have been remanded, will get encouraged to consider leading an honest life and quitting criminal activities on seeing these paintings. The paintings will also provide a soothing work atmosphere for policemen, who are constantly in the company of the criminals. The cops will feel inspired to carry out their responsibilities more diligently,” he said.
Asked would he replicate the idea in other police stations too, the officer said, “I wish to expand this initiative to as many police stations as I can wherever I am posted.”
Abdul Rashid, an undertrial remanded in police custody for the killing of a neel gai (blue bull), admitted to getting a sense of relief and peace on seeing these pictures.