Directing a play at Tihar 2

 So, I entered the space with a lot of apprehension and rightly so, though I had worked with young people in school settings but had never gone into a prison, nor was I trained for it. However, I rationalised it in my head that it can't be any different from working with young people anywhere else, so why should I be worried. But the first interaction was a bit of a shock. 

The ward that was given to me was the 'kasoori' ward. These were the inmates who created trouble while they were in the prison. So, they were the difficult ones not only in the eyes of the law but even in the eyes of the jail administration. 

There were about forty of them divided into two 'barracks'. 

I got them into a circle and began a small conversation just to introduce myself to them and get slightly familiar with them. One of the first few who responded to the question, what do they do normally do outside of the jail? ( probably not an appropriate way to get their introduction), was a threatening one which evoked a laughter from all the others. 

However, the session did not go too badly. They seemed to enjoy the physical warm up games that we played and did some basic impersonation acts. 

Although they were not allowed to sit on the chair that was there for the jail staff, so when I asked them to use it they were hesitant and the jail staff also told me not to let them use it. I didn't get it then but later understood it that the jail staff was doing a difficult job, these kids were used to the notion of heirarchy, the chair was a symbol of power that the jail staff could exercise on them. Also, the power that they had to punish them for behaviour that was undesired. 

First few days went okay, if nothing else, the games and exercises were a break from the monotony of their existence, till things went south, and I did notice it, but I tugged along for a few days thinking that maybe I was not getting the group right and things will change, till it got very frustrating and I could sense certain tension within the group though I did not have any idea of the specifics of what was going on, till on this day I entered the jail superintendent's office to brief him about what was going on and get some inputs from him. But that conversation was another story...