On the occasion of 72nd Republic Day, January 26, 2021 the Prison Department of Maharashtra launched its jail tourism initiative at the Yerawada Central Jail, which is 150 years old, situated in Pune. Under this initiative educational establishments as well as registered NGOs could visit the jail premises which stores a rich source of Indian history. Many famous freedom fighters were imprisioned in the Yerawada Jail. This would enable them to observe and experience historical events of the Indian independence movement associated with the Yerawada Jail.
However, the Cellular Jail in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, (infamously known as ‘Kala Paani’); Fort Aguada Jail in Goa; and the Sangareddy Central Jail, Telangana, (it permits a 24-hour paid stay with full ‘jail-comforts’ for tourists) also facilitating jail tourism.
Yerawada Central Jail was constructed in the year 1871 by the British in Yerawada, which was then located in the outskirts of Pune city. This is one of the largest prisons of South Asia. It is also the largest prison in Maharashtra.
Spread over an area of 500 acres of land and capable of housing almost 5000 inmates, the prison areas are sub-divided as per security zones.
There are 10 ultra-secure ‘Anda Cells’ (oval-shaped cells) which are used for isolating the most heinous criminals and terrorists.
It has a ‘Kishore Wing’ for prisoners between the age group of 18 and 21 years. Here, the young inmates are given education or skill training to keep them off-crime after their release.
There is a 300-inmate capacity women’s jail where the inmates are given various types of vocational training.
The prison complex also has an open jail where inmates, with at least five years of proper conduct, are permitted limited freedom with basic security as per the jail norms.
The prison also has a ‘Mulakat Kaksh’ (meeting room) and a radio station.
Significance of Yerawada Prison
Yerawada prison has a special significance in India’s freedom struggle, having housed several freedom fighters of India. The barracks where these leaders were housed during their terms of imprisonment have now been preserved.
Following are some leaders who were imprisioned here:
- Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned thrice in Yerawada prison during India’s fight for independence, as per the jail records. The cell where Mahatma Gandhi was lodged is called the ‘Gandhi Yard’. Initially, he was imprisoned between March 1922 and February 1924, followed by another imprisonment period between January 1932 to May 1933. During the 1932 imprisonment, Gandhiji went on an indefinite fast to protest against the Communal Award announced by Ramsay MacDonald, the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Communal Award which was announced on August 16, 1932 provided for separate electorates for the Depressed Classes, the Muslims, the Europeans, the Sikhs, the Anglo-Indians, and the Indian-based Christians.
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, supported the proposal, believing it would allow Dalits to advance their interests. Mahatma Gandhi, on the other hand, objected to a separate provision of an electorate for the Dalits from the Hindu electorate, which, in his view, would weaken India in its bid for independence. Gandhi began a fast unto death on September 18, 1932.
Though Ambedkar opposed Gandhiji’s views, he, along with Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and other Hindu leaders, met Gandhiji in Yerawada jail. After discussions, they signed the historic Poona Pact on September 24, 1932.
Gandhi was again imprisoned for three days in August 1933, according to the prison records.
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak was jailed by the British in Yerawada prison between January 1898 and February 1899 during the freedom movement.
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was imprisoned in the prison between August 1930 and January 1932.
- Motilal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru both were housed in the Yerawada prison between August 1930 and October 1930.
- Subhash Chandra Bose was jailed between April 1936 and May 1936.
- Sarojini Naidu was jailed in December 1940 for 12 days.
- Yerawada jail has two historic yards (group of cells), named after Gandhi and Tilak. Everything related to him, including his ‘Charkha’ and his signed documents, besides other documents signed by other prominent personalities of the freedom movement, is being preserved.
- After independence, during the Emergency of 1975-77, many political opponents of Indira Gandhi were detained in this jail. Among those detained, were the RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pramila Dandavate, and Vasant Nargolkar.
- Famous personalities, including Anna Hazare, Sanjay Dutt, Abdul Karim Telgi, and Arun Gawli, have served their terms in this central jail.
- One of the notorious terrorists of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Ajmal Kasab, was kept in this jail under tight security, at the time of his trial.
The visitors would be able to get a tour of the faasi yard, where executions are carried out in the prison. It was in this yard that the Chapekar brothers, who had assassinated WC Rand (the then British Plague Commissioner of Pune), were executed in 1899. On October 1992, Sukhdev Singh Saini and Harjinder Singh Jinda, the killers of Indian Army chief, General A.S. Vaidya, were hanged in this yard. Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving terrorist of the Mumbai terror attacks, was also hanged and buried in this very same prison on November 21, 2012.
Maharashtra government is planning to add jail tourism initiative to prisons in Thane, Nashik, Dhule, and Ratnagiri in subsequent phases. These prisons also have housed leaders who were part of the struggle for independence.