Popular Indian Café Run by Unlikely Workers

 

In the picturesque¹ Himalayan mountains of northern India, the Book Café looks like a normal cafe. But it is part of a bold social experiment.

Jai Chand works at the café. On a rainy day, he takes orders from customers -- many of them young college students.

But he and others working at the café are unlike most employees. Found guilty of major crimes and sentenced to life in prison – they are convicts.

However, they are serving their sentences at one of India’s “open” prisons.

At the Shimla Kaithu Prison, a few prisoners, such as Jai Chand, can walk out of the jail without supervision². Then they return to the prison after a day's work.

“I hope I once again get the opportunity to be a part of society. I hope I too will be able to laugh and play with my children."

At first, some people worried about prisoners interacting with society and operating the café. But it did not take long for the Himalayan town of Shimla to quickly accept the prisoners.

College students are among the many customers who drop by the café for reasonably priced food prepared in the prison. Some take what they buy to eat later. Others stay and read from newspapers, magazines and, of course, books.

True to its name, the Book Café has shelves and shelves of books for customers to read.

VOA spoke³ with one of the students who goes to the café. Dressed in a sharp-looking suit, he says the customers find the café’s workers to be kind and normal.

"I could not believe that they ever had committed a crime. I think that they are normal persons and they are just leading their life."

Some distance away, three other life convicts sell rice and curry⁴ dishes from a food truck. Planning meals and dealing⁵ with customers has completely changed the life of one of these convicts.

Bhupinder Singh was found guilty of murder charges and has spent 18 years in prison. Singh says that working outside the prison has awakened⁶ him.

"When I was in jail only my body was living. I was mentally dead. Since coming here, now along with my body, my mind also works. I meet people. I can dream of a better future. When I am released, I have learned a skill that I can use."

The success of this work program has led to more prison convicts working outside of jail, says Somesh Goyal. He is the Director General of Prisons in Himachal Pradesh.

Goyal explains that they choose the prisoners for the program based on their behavior as well as their importance to their families. So, well-behaved prisoners who were also the main breadwinners for their families are the first to be selected.

He says the program is helping⁷ the prisoners overcome mental issues that often come from prison life.

The program, Goyal explains, gives the prisoners back their humanity. The prisoners say they feel more human and normal. Also, people in society with whom they interact, begin to see them as human and normal too.

"They interact with people; they meet family members; they can keep a mobile phone also. So, it helps them integrate with the society and feel human. And wherever they go and work, those people also think they're as human or as normal as people outside the prison."

Perhaps, with more programs such as this, other prisoners can reclaim⁸ a place in society once their debt to society is paid.

I’m Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

picturesque – adj. very pretty or charming : like a painted picture

bold – adj. showing or calling for courage or daring

convict – n. a person convicted of and under sentence for a crime

interact – v. to act upon one another

sharp – adj. stylish⁹, dressy

breadwinner – n. a member of a family whose wages supply its livelihood¹⁰

integrate – v. to make (a person or group) part of a larger group or organization

1 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

2 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 curry   

n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革

参考例句：

• Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
• Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

9 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

10 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。