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Facing the Iron Gate behind bars
KATHMANDU, MAR 27 -
They are behind bars because of their wayward ways, but they want to change the course of their life for the better. With this spirit, 39 inmates from the Sundhara-based prisons are sitting for SLC exams, dubbed the Iron Gate.
Nineteen examinees are from the Bhadra Prison, 19 from the Central Jail, while one examinee is from the Women’s Cell. Among the examinees is 48-year-old prisoner Dal Singh Tamang, the oldest on the lot.
Tamang, who is doing time on a drug charge, has a dream — he wants to become a teacher once he is out of jail. “Education is a guiding light that can show ways to make life meaningful,” says Tamang, who is busy preparing for maths exam.
Tamang feels he landed in prison just because he was unaware of the importance of education.
Ram Prasad Ranjeet, principal of the Bhadra prison school, says some examinees have a good schooling background. There are students, who studied in the country’s reputed schools such as Budhanilakantha and St. Xavier’s, before drug addiction landed them in jail.
Ranjeet, who is himself a prisoner here, has pinned high hopes on the inmates with a good schooling background. “They have a good command of English and will do their best,” says Ranjeet.
Teachers have been providing guidance to these examinees round the clock.
Moreover, examinees have not been allowed to work so that they can prepare for the exams. But there are a few prisoners, who do not want to study, say some teachers, adding that others find it hard to conduct study due to disturbances.
The number of examinees has shot up this year compared to the last year. Thirteen inmates had taken last year’s SLC exam in which 11 got through. Of the SLC graduates, one prisoner—Rajesh Chhetri—passed the exam in first division.
Posted on: 2010-03-28 08:01
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