Safdar Nagori of SIMI tops, IPS Vanzara comes 11th in PG course for Gujarat jails inmates
By Rafat Nayeem Quadri,
Ahmedabad: They were felicitated, awarded and applauded for their efforts. They were awarded with medals and certificates by none other than the Vice Chancellor of Annamalai Open University himself at an extremely rare and unique Convocation function here in Ahmedabad on Saturday morning (3rd Dec. 2011).
It was a rare function since no University with its Vice Chancellor in India must have ever gone all the way to the students instead of students coming to it. It was so because the students were the inmates of different jails of Gujarat who had assembled to attend this unique Convocation programme at Sabarmati Central Jail.
Some 73 students (inmates) attended the one-year Post Graduate Diploma in ‘Value Education and Spirituality’ programme offered by Tamil Nadu’s Annamalai Open University. The programme was sponsored (arranged and co-ordinated) by the Brahmakumaris, a spiritual organisation. More than 350 centres of Brahmakumaris in Gujarat are working actively to pursue the goal of helping out the deprived ones, lending a hand of love and warmth, uniting the people through their various programmes.
At this particular event meant for the inmates of different jails of Gujarat, entire team of Brahmakumaris led by Rajyogini Sarladidi, Director Brahma Kumaris, Gujarat Zone, was present. B. K. Nandini, co-ordinator and Media Cell head of the Brahmakumaris, played an important role in making the information available to the media.
Highlights of the convocation function:
–Total 86 students had enrolled for the academic programme
–73 students attended Personal Contact Programme like Training Classes (14 full days)
–56 students appeared for Examination
–49 students took oath and accepted Certificate from VC of Annamalai Open University
–9 of successful inmates were Muslim
–Medals were given away to top 10 by Rajyogini Sarladidi, Director Brahma Kumaris
–Safdar Nagori (SIMI) was at the top of Distinction Students’ list with 87.2% aggregate
–Convicted inmate IPS officer DG Vanzara stood at 11th position
–PG Diploma in Value Education and Spirituality was offered by Annamalai University
–No fee was charged by Annamalai University for the course
–VC Dr. M. Ramanathan offered MBA course for inmates
–Safdar Nagori started his speech with Quranic verse Bismillahirrahmanirrahim; DG Vanzara did so with ‘Om Shanti’
The air of Sabaramati jail was filled with joy and appreciation for the inmates. Other jail inmates who were witnessing the function enjoyed and felicitated their friends.
Safdar Nagori gets medal and speaks
Safdar Nagori, former president of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who is in Sabarmati Jail in connection with some terror blasts, stole the limelight of the program for two reasons: He topped the list of 56 successful students with highest distinction marks of 87.2%; He delivered an impressive speech at the convocation function.
Nine Muslim prisoners had showed interest in the programme. However, the topper was Safdar Nagori, the ideologue of Student’s Islamic Movement in India (SIMI) and a key accused in the Ahmedabad bomb blasts case. Nagori scored 87.20%. Atul Patel of the Patan rape case came second with 86.20% while Saiyad Razak, another key accused in the bomb blast, came third. As part of the course, the prisoners appeared for four written exams of 100 marks each, and 50 marks each for an oral test and a term paper on a subject of their choice. The subject of Nagori’s term paper was – ‘the ethos of various religions’
DG Vanzara at extreme left, Safdar Nagori without yellow band in the center
In a philosophical tone Nagori, in his speech, tried to lambaste Communism, Capitalism and Western style secularism. He said: We must try to pick up good things from wherever we are and we can. He said his quest for truth and knowledge gaining took him to different faiths’ worship places in the country. He said the people all over the world can get peace and life by connecting oneself to the Creator of this universe. For this he said God has sent for us his prophets and books so that we are guided and live life which is full of joy and happiness.
He said one day the ‘Khilafat rule’ will prevail. He said he is happy to have topped the course and was grateful to the authorities for this felicitation. He said he was also happy of the fact that he was still living with his same ideology and was stuck to it to the core. He thanked Allah and his parents.
Nagori in his effective speech asked, it is fine to appoint Lokayukt to check the financial irregularities and corruption but which Lokayukt will check the irregularity and corruption prevailing in the present value system?
He also said that jails can hold the physical bodies of the inmates but the thinking process and ideology is free from any caging. He said since he has an open mind so he joined the course. He in his journey of life has also read Holy Gita and Holy Bible.
Next to him in stealing the attention was infamous IPS officer DG Vanzara. He stood at 11th position and also delivered a speech. Vanzara is in jail for five years in connection with some fake encounters including the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.
IPS D.G. Vanzara: Cowards don’t land in jail
IPS D.G. Vanzara said that the inmates are in jail because they have shown bravery. “I am here for last five years. Present officers of jail have turned this Sabarmati jail into Sabarmati Ashram. A prisoner who comes here leaves this jail without worrying about his future, because thanks to various courses and spiritual atmosphere, the environment of the jail has been changed.”
Vanzara said, “Cowards don’t land in jail. We are mard (brave men) and have acted like brave men, therefore we are here. And we will leave this jail as mard.” Vanzara pointed out that it was a time when the entire world was passing through the falling degrees of value system in the society.
He said his friends in jail must try to pass this time productively and learn something which can improve and enrich their lives and the society gets benefited out of this positive change.
Earlier, he started his speech quoting a saying “If Muhammed doesn’t go to mountains, mountains come to Muhammed”, as he compared the inmates and Anna Malai University.
He stated that the grief and happiness are two states of our own mind. Vanzara also read few couplets trying to prove that the real male is the one who is happy both in the best and adverse conditions. Vanzara has completed few courses during his stay in the jail and has also authored some books and poems as well.
Dignitaries at the function
P.C. Thakur, Additional Director General of Police & Inspector General of Prisons was instrumental and responsible for this unique function. B. K. Mruthunjayabhai, Vice Chairperson of Education Wing, Mt. Abu was also there. R. J. Pargi, Superintendent of Ahmedabad Central Jail and Superintendents of other Gujarat Jails (Jamnagar, Baroda, Palanpur, Himmatnagar, Navsari, Surat, Bhavnagar, Amreli) also featured the function. Dignitaries observed dress code for the event.
Some of them also address the audience. All the speakers remembered the most famous inmate of this jail during independence time, the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.
IG prison P C Thakur delivered a well meaning and humble speech and greeted everyone using several salutations used by different communities. He said that this jail was historic to have had housed great leaders of our nation including Mahatma, Sardar Patel, Balgangadhar Tilak, Kasturbaji and Pandit Ravi Shankar Prasad.
He requested the inmates to bring in that little positive change which could make their life better and improved. He said to err is human but to rectify and improve ourselves is the bravery and truthfulness. He added that we all have done some mistakes or the other in our lives. He recited a couplet:
Kuch khaar to kam kar gaye guzre jahan se hum
Rajyogini Sarladidi, Director Brahma Kumaris in her emotional speech said she was very much impressed and touched from the total co-operation from everyone to make this programme a great success. She said the inmates are not ordinary people; they are all gifted. She greeted them saying ‘Happy Birthday’ and said it was a new life for all of them from today. She advised the inmates saying ‘badla nahi badal kar jaana yaha se’ (go in a new improved avatar rather than with a vengeance feeling).
There was not a single female inmate who attended the course. None of the convicted or non-convicted female prisoners were seen attending the event either. Soumya and other friends from Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Gandhinagar who are associated with the jail inmates’ rehabilitation programmes also witnessed this great moment
(The writer is the first lady journalist of Gujarat to have launched an English Fortnightly Newspaper from the state. She is Editor and CEO of Bilkul and can be contacted at [email protected])