Nakul Shivani/ New Delhi

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to make the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign a success, 50 inmates at the Dasna jail in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh have in their own little way made their contribution felt by stitching the Indian flag for different organisations and institutes.

The inmates who are part of the cooperative society run for prisoners in the jail have stitched more than 15,000 flags for the occasion.

Speaking exclusively to Awaz-the Voice, Jail Superintendant, Alok Singh said, “the idea to involve the inmates in this patriotic venture came after we had seen what they could do during Covid times.”

During the Covid pandemic, the tailoring unit of the jail made masks and PPE kits for distribution. “The success of the venture then inspired us to do something this time too. We had got a good response then and the inmates saw the positive image they were getting in society,” said Alok Singh.

The jail authorities approached the state government and with the help of the Rotary club and Singer company installed 50 sewing machines in the jail.

“This is part of the reformatory process. The inmates are very excited about making this contribution to the independence day celebrations. They are proud to be associated with the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav,” says Alok Singh.

The inmates in the age group of 25 to 45 years involved in the flag making stitched close to 600-700 flags per day.

Flags were stitched in the dimension of 20 inches by 30 inches. Apart from being involved in the mission for the satisfaction of doing something constructive, the inmates are also paid a remuneration. One rupee is given to the cooperative society whereas, the inmates get rupees 20 per flag.

Since strict protocols involve tricolour-making, the inmates have been imparted training at a 2-day workshop held by a Meerut-based company that specializes in making flags.

“This activity has helped them finetune their tailoring skills. When they get released from the prison they can not only tell stories about what they did during this time but also can utilize this experience to make a living,” says Alok Singh.

The prison will also hoist the tricolour this independence day atop each of the barracks.

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The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign is organized under the aegis of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ in which all citizens are urged to hoist the tricolor atop their homes and offices to mark 75 years of India’s independence.