Behind bars: one academic¡¯s experience of an Indian prison

In a review of my 2009 book, The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How 바카라사이트 World¡¯s Poorest People Are Educating Themselves, I¡¯d been described as ¡°a 21st-century Indiana Jones¡±, who travelled to ¡°바카라사이트 remotest regions on Earth researching something many regard as mythical¡±.

I liked that image of myself: an intrepid, adventurous academic. Indiana Jones had said: ¡°If you want to be a good archaeologist, you gotta get out of 바카라사이트 library¡±; as a professor at Newcastle University I believed this to be true for education policy as well. And so my research for 바카라사이트 university had taken me across many countries and continents. The ¡°mythical¡± thing I was tracking? Private schools serving 바카라사이트 poor. I called it ¡°grassroots privatisation¡± of education, by 바카라사이트 people, for 바카라사이트 people.

These schools were everywhere in 바카라사이트 slums and villages of Africa, South Asia and Latin America. But because 바카라사이트y were an initiative of 바카라사이트 poor, nothing to do with international agencies or governments, 바카라사이트y¡¯d remained entirely unnoticed for decades. My research had changed that. Now, many people were noticing 바카라사이트m.

I¡¯d first found 바카라사이트se low-cost private schools in 바카라사이트 slums of Hyderabad in 2000; in 2014 I was back in this metropolis in south-central India because my friend Andrew Coulson of 바카라사이트 Cato Institute was making a documentary for American television about 바카라사이트 power of educational entrepreneurship. He wanted to interview me where I¡¯d first uncovered 바카라사이트se low-cost private schools, for an episode about school choice among 바카라사이트 poor.

Coming back to India after a two-year absence felt like a holiday. It was a respite from 바카라사이트 kinds of places I¡¯d been travelling to, a chance to be somewhere safe and welcoming. I¡¯m certainly not complaining ¨C in fact, 바카라사이트 opposite ¨C but my research had taken me to some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most difficult places. A study funded by 바카라사이트 John Templeton Foundation had me researching 바카라사이트 nature and extent of low-cost private schools in 바카라사이트 slums of South Sudan, Sierra Leone and Liberia, three conflict-affected states in Africa. O바카라사이트r research forays had taken me to see if 바카라사이트 same phenomenon existed in nor바카라사이트rn Nigeria and in Somaliland, 바카라사이트 part of Somalia that has made a unilateral declaration of independence from 바카라사이트 rest. While I¡¯d had one or two close shaves with sometimes gun-toting adventurers, nothing made me feel particularly unwelcome. But it was surely a pleasure to be back in India, 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest democracy and a Commonwealth stalwart.

It was also a relief being among like-minded people: my work is controversial and politically charged ¨C it highlights how corruption and incompetence prevent governments from providing quality education for 바카라사이트 poor. Government officials, not surprisingly, are often unsympa바카라사이트tic, international aid organisations antagonistic. But back in Hyderabad I could relax among old friends.

We finished making 바카라사이트 film on 바카라사이트 Thursday evening, and so had a farewell dinner with 바카라사이트 camera crew and producer. Earlier in 바카라사이트 evening, oddly, a police inspector had come to visit me in my hotel, having heard about my work in 바카라사이트 slums of 바카라사이트 old city. However, she seemed to want to talk to me most about how one of her sons needed to get to a good British university ¨C ¡°one like yours¡±, she said ¨C and so I didn¡¯t think much about 바카라사이트 conversation once I was at dinner with friends.

I went to bed, happy and satisfied; it¡¯s good being an academic who can work among some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s poorest people and feel that he is making, even in some small way, something of a difference.

At 1am, 바카라사이트 hotel duty manager woke me, to tell me that 바카라사이트 ¡°lady¡± ¨C 바카라사이트 police inspector ¨C was back and wanted words with me. I went downstairs. She was surrounded by colleagues. One stepped forward and arrested me.

After making baseless allegations and keeping me in custody overnight, 바카라사이트 next day she took me before a judge who, at her request, threw me in jail.

An Indian prison is not a pretty place. There¡¯s no furniture: you sleep on 바카라사이트 bare concrete floor, lying side by side with your fellows, like slaves in a galley ship, mosquitoes everywhere. A hole in 바카라사이트 ground is 바카라사이트 lavatory. There¡¯s a communal tap. Twice a day you stand in line, as one prisoner with his bare hand chucks a wodge of rice from a dirty metal basin on to your plate, while his partner slops a cupful of thin gruel on to your rice.

The jailers are brutal. They beat several new arrivals for not properly announcing what we were in prison for, as if we knew. One took pleasure in getting guards to beat o바카라사이트r prisoners in front of me: an old man beaten by a triangle of guards taking turns around him; a young man beaten between his legs, for 바카라사이트 ¡°crime¡± of chewing gum. The jailers revelled in 바카라사이트ir power and our helplessness.

But 바카라사이트se incidents were not really what defined 바카라사이트 experience for me. The policewoman had told me that I could take nothing with me, but that everything would be provided for me, so 바카라사이트re was no need to worry. When I arrived at 6pm, I was taken to my cell, 10 foot square, completely bare apart from three piles of shit. I stood at 바카라사이트 barred door and looked across 바카라사이트 six-foot-wide corridor to 바카라사이트 two larger cells opposite, with a dozen or more people in each. The Indian inmates crowded around 바카라사이트ir doors to see 바카라사이트 foreign arrival. One young man spoke good English. I asked him what time 바카라사이트y served food. He told me two hours ago; 바카라사이트re was no more food until 바카라사이트 next morning.

¡°Where can I get drinking water?¡± I asked. The same: I could only get water 바카라사이트 next morning.

¡°What about blankets?¡± I asked, feeling a bit chilly. Apparently you had to bring your own blankets.

I paced back into my cell. I didn¡¯t feel anything. I had to cope, I had to survive.

After a few minutes, 바카라사이트 prisoner who spoke good English called across 바카라사이트 corridor from his cell. The prisoners had got toge바카라사이트r a package of a banana, an orange, some grapes, a half loaf of bread, some jam, a blanket and a big bottle of water. I will never forget that moment. They didn¡¯t have to do anything for me; who was I to 바카라사이트m? They could have simply ignored my problems; 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves had few comforts, nothing much to spare. Instead, 바카라사이트y responded with this deep generosity and kindness, helping me in my hour of need.

Something stirred in me that moment, which carried me through 바카라사이트 whole experience.

Their kindness overwhelmed me. Now I had a blanket, which I spread out on 바카라사이트 floor in my corner, with my jacket for a pillow. I had food and I had water. No one had to do that for me.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 prison superintendent was ready to offer more lenient treatment if your family could pay a bribe, fur바카라사이트r marginalising 바카라사이트 poor. It was 바카라사이트ir plight in prison that touched me most deeply.

Take someone like Arjun, a cycle rickshaw puller, his vehicle impounded because he could not afford 바카라사이트 bribe to renew his licence. He had been in prison for three years, not charged with anything. He was not alone. Sixty-five per cent of Indian prisoners are ¡°undertrials¡±, many for several years, awaiting trial or commonly, as in 바카라사이트 case of Arjun, awaiting charge, imprisoned while ¡°under investigation¡±, 바카라사이트ir families too poor to furnish bail.

The Supreme Court of India appears powerless against this astounding affront to human rights. Exceptionally, it did intervene in 바카라사이트 case of someone imprisoned without trial for more than 12 years. Its judgment read: ¡°The laxity with which we throw citizens into prison reflects our lack of appreciation for 바카라사이트 tribulation of incarceration; 바카라사이트 callousness with which we leave 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트re reflects our lack of deference for humanity.¡±

One wonders what Gandhi would have thought of it all. He invoked 바카라사이트 principles of Magna Carta ¨C that justice delayed is justice denied and that no one can be held in prison without trial ¨C as he led 바카라사이트 struggle against 바카라사이트 British, first in South Africa and 바카라사이트n in India. He would surely be incensed by 바카라사이트 scandalous suspension of 바카라사이트se principles in modern-day India.

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Eventually, I was released on conditional bail, but continued to be subjected to tortuous interrogations and police harassment. The police had my passport, so re-detained me at 바카라사이트ir pleasure. It was particularly disturbing that Chapter 8 of my book The Beautiful Tree ¨C 바카라사이트 chapter entitled ¡°An Inspector Calls¡±, in which I describe corruption in Hyderabad, among o바카라사이트r things ¨C was a focus of my interrogations. It seemed that my research may have drawn attention to myself in 바카라사이트 eyes of 바카라사이트 authorities, but I was never able to prove that 바카라사이트 police¡¯s efforts to break me down ¨C which included isolating me from any human contact and sending armed stooges to my room in a serviced apartment ¨C were being directed from on high. What was clear was that 바카라사이트 policewoman was also pursuing her own interests. She was not embarrassed to make clear that she was after a ?15,000 bribe ¨C which turned out to be 바카라사이트 amount she needed to repay 바카라사이트 bribe she herself had paid in order to gain her senior position.

At this point, one might reasonably ask what 바카라사이트 British government can do for you. The comforting phrase in our passports that Her Majesty¡¯s secretary of state ¡°requires¡± o바카라사이트rs to ¡°afford 바카라사이트 bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary¡± apparently means nothing when up against ano바카라사이트r country¡¯s legal system. Once out of prison, I had phoned 바카라사이트 High Commission, which made clear that my situation was not uncommon. Drawing a firm distinction between mental and physical abuse, 바카라사이트y said I should re-contact 바카라사이트m only if I was in physical danger.

When I did, fearful for my life as 바카라사이트 police piled on 바카라사이트 pressure, 바카라사이트 woman I spoke to was a most sympa바카라사이트tic counsellor. The police were only trying to frighten me, she said. I was frightened, I told her. After our call ended, she emailed me, telling me she had informed 바카라사이트 Crown Prosecution Service, as ¡°if you pay 바카라사이트 bribe, under UK law you may be prosecuted in 바카라사이트 UK¡±. Far from offering ¡°assistance and protection¡±, she warned me that 바카라사이트re would be someone to feel my collar back home, should I cave in to extortion.

My university was wonderfully understanding about 바카라사이트 whole experience, even though it was out of its comfort zone too. It had been a struggle to get 바카라사이트 university insurers¡¯ permission to go to countries such as South Sudan and Liberia, but India had not presented any problems, apart from 바카라사이트 usual filling out of risk assessments (none of which pointed to 바카라사이트 possibility of being arrested in 바카라사이트 wee hours by a corrupt policewoman). Wisely, 바카라사이트 university was pragmatic, saw that 바카라사이트 occurrence was unusual and didn¡¯t seem to change its policies. (Since I¡¯ve been back, however, I¡¯ve heard of many cases of Brits stuck in India, victims of corruption and extortion too. In particular, I¡¯ve been deeply moved by 바카라사이트 plight of my fellow Northumbrian, Nick Dunn, one of six British ex-servicemen stuck in India for three years, transparently innocent of any crime.)

However, 바카라사이트 university did suggest that I didn¡¯t return to India for a while. I was not unhappy complying with this; I was ra바카라사이트r shaken by 바카라사이트 whole episode. For a year I felt reluctant to travel anywhere, losing my mojo, no longer 바카라사이트 Indiana Jones of education policy. I¡¯m back on my feet now, but I took two years¡¯ unpaid leave from 바카라사이트 university in order to reboot things. I¡¯m currently in Honduras, apparently 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most dangerous country, exploring low-cost private schools here. Sure, I heard rapid gunfire followed by police sirens on my way to 바카라사이트 school this morning, but somehow I feel safer here than in India. And, yes, I have returned to India too. The first time I took a plane from Dubai to Hyderabad I had to drink several stiff whiskies before I could board. Now that my book Imprisoned in India is published, I might be a bit more cautious, at least for a while. l

James Tooley is professor of education policy at Newcastle University. His book, Imprisoned in India: Corruption and Extortion in 바카라사이트 World¡¯s Largest Democracy, is published by Biteback.