Freedom Movement

Alokananda Roy performing with Nigel Akkara

"Ever since Ma came into my life, I have been a changed person," says Sanjoy Patra, 37, an ex inmate of Presidency Jail, Kolkata. Patra is referring to Odissi dancer Alokananda Roy, who has been regularly visiting jails in West Bengal, helping the prisoners to freely express their minds and bodies through dance.

The danseuse and her students call it dance therapy. And therapeutic it is. "It has been an exercise in self-realization," explains Patra. "It gave us the strength to believe in ourselves, to realize the happiness of living in the present." Not surprisingly, the prisoners who have partaken of Roy’s lessons refer to her as "Ma".

Roy visited the Presidency Jail l for the first time on 8 March, 2007, on an invitation to celebrate International Women’s Day with the female prisoners. "I still remember as if it were yesterday,” smiles Roy. “They presented a dance recital for us, and with their make-up and costumes, they seemed just like the students in my regular classes."

Roy wanted to do something for them. Her wish turned into reality when Banshidhar Sharma, IG (Correctional Services), approached her in this regard. Besides her dance school, Chandanaloke, Roy also runs an NGO called Inspiration Foundation, a centre of performing arts for underprivileged youth.

The dancer reveals how her very first visit to the Presidency Jail changed her idea about a jail. Contrary to what she expected, the place presented a clean and tranquil environment. The warmth of the inmates touched her. Seeing young male prisoners "walking aimlessly", she thought "one of them could very well have been by own son". And that’s how she conceived of dance therapy for them.

Convincing the male prisoners, however, was not an easy task. "Initially, we were wary. I thought ‘who is this crazy woman trying to teach us dance?’” recalls Nigel Akkara, who served nine years as an under trial for 18 cases of murder, extortion and kidnapping. "To be honest, I did not like her.”

So at first, there were only 10 students who went to Roy’s class, much against their wishes. "But slowly, they began to open up. And soon, we had more than 40 inmates in our class," says Roy.

"They had their doubts, but Mrs Roy’s love and affection overcame such obstacles,” says Sharma. Of course, it took time. “When I came to know that a lady has come to teach us dance, I thought it was gimmick of another of those fame-hungry social workers, to whom we were actually untouchables. And when they asked me to sign up for the class, I told Ma that gundas do not wear ghungroos,” laughs Akkara. “But my outlook changed when I saw her interact with the prisoners, touching them while teaching as if they were like any other.”

Roy now takes classes separately for men and women, at least three times a week. "The segregation between the genders is very strict. Male and female prisoners are not allowed to interact in the jail," she explains.

Initially, Roy didn’t have any huge plans, such as of trying to integrate them into the mainstream of society. Her classes were more like constructive recreation. Little did she imagine that her instruction would gradually become the road to peace for the troubled souls. "We are born with rhythm and beat; a life without these would lead to destruction. By interacting with these men and women, I realized that somehow they had lost the rhythm of life, and that perhaps it could be re-established through music and dance,” reasons Roy.

Jail in the Indian context entails indescribable mental agony. About 70 per cent of the inmates are just awaiting trial. “That means you are putting a person behind bars without knowing if he or she is guilty,” says Sharma. In order to transform them, they should be engaged in some kind of constructive activity, believes the jail authority. And what could be better than music and dance?

The dance classes worked wonders for the prisoners of Alipore Central Jail. Besides putting up small shows within the premises, they were invited to participate in the Uday Shankar Dance Festival 2007 at the prestigious Ravindra Sadan auditorium. "It was perhaps for the first time in the world that prisoners came out in the open and presented such a recital. They performed so well that the audience gave a standing ovation and, overwhelmed, most of the prisoners ended up in tears," recalls the force behind all this.

After this, there was no looking back. In the last five years, they have done more than 35 shows all over the country. And the revenue generated from these events is donated to the West Bengal Prisoners Welfare Fund. The inmates not only chose a completely different way of life, but also became devoted music lovers, says Sharma happily.

What is of utmost importance is that none of those people, who underwent dance therapy, have committed any crime. “And they never will,” adds Sharma in a matter-of-fact tone. Sharma says that he is not merely hypothesizing, and that it’s his conviction based on his entire career as a prison authority.

Roy too feels strongly about it. "They wouldn’t do anything that would embarrass me. Many times they had opportunities to flee, but none did so,” she says.

Roy’s devotion and hard work paid her rich dividends too. Within a few days of her classes, she became “Ma’ from “Madam”. "I cannot describe in words what have I gained from them. Their unconditional love cannot be compared with any treasure in this world,” she says, her eyes moistening.

So strong became the bonding that the teacher couldn’t afford to miss a class. If she did, she had to face grumpy faces the next day! On her part, she played the role of a mother, full of affection but also scolding them whenever necessary. “If they made mistakes deliberately, missed a class or were lazy, I would tell them off,” Roy smiles.

Thanks to her guidance, the prisoners turned into veritable stars. Their first performance of “Balmiki Prativa” outside the wall in 2007 was not only a huge success, but also a life-changing experience for them. "After the show, most of them were crying, as if they were reborn,” says Roy.

Sanjoy Patra sums it all up. "We have realized that the only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work and love for others. If Ma had come into my life earlier, it would have been a completely different story."