'Cradle ceremony' performed for undertrial's child at jail

By Our Staff Reporter

WARANGAL, SEPT. 3. A girlchild born to a teenaged woman after she was taken into custody in connection with the recent Thimmapur carnage involving the burning alive of five persons on suspicion of their practising sorcery was given the customary `cradle ceremony' in the prison to coincide with the 21st day of its birth on Sunday. The girl was named `Vinitha' when the mother insisted that she be given a three-letter name which can be written in Telugu. Various names like Sunitha, Sabitha and others which were suggested to the mother within the frame of her requirement failed to click with her as she wanted a name which suited modernity. Finally, the woman police constables posted at the jail suggested the name `Vinitha' which found favour with her.

The infant's mother, Itikala Renuka, a Dalit girl, is among 70 villagers of Thimmapur arrested in connection with the burning alive of suspected sorcerers on August 2. Thirtysix of the arrested persons are women who have not got bail so far and are languishing in the Central Jail here. The jail authorities assert that they are not likely to get the bail until 40 more persons booked in the crime and are evading arrest surrender themselves. It may take three more months for them to get bail in the process.

Renuka, who was among the women to be arrested when she was in the advanced stage of her pregnancy, was lodged in the jail on August 4 and she delivered her first child at the Government Maternity Hospital at Hanamkonda on August 11. Her husband, Ramchander, a labourer, however, is at home as he does not figure in the list of the culprits. There are no close relatives of Ramchander either in the company of Renuka in the jail.

Then the sisters of the Prison Ministry of India, a body of the Catholic church which is involved in the service of prisoners, rose to the occasion. They decided to celebrate the occasion with the permission of jail authorities.

Led by Sister Leena Kattookaren, State coordinator of the Ministry and a former headmistress of the Fatima High School for Girls at Kazipet here, the sisters got up a function for the child on the jail premises on Sunday. The sisters presented Renuka and her daughter with new clothes and performed the function with the participation of all the hundred-odd woman inmates of the jail.

A father of the church read verses from the Holy Bible after the baby was put in the cradle and some women prisoners even sang songs befitting the occasion as if it was a domestic function. The sisters distributed sweets to the participants. The Jail Superintendent, Mr. Laxma Reddy, and other jail authorities also attended the celebration.

Sister Leena said the Prison Ministry of India rendered moral instructions, value education, counselling and adult education to prisoners wherever it had set up groups since its formation two years ago. The Ministry also celebrated all festivals, including Rakhi Poornima, Diwali, Easter and Christmas.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Two shot dead by naxals
Next     : Additional German aid for VTPS-IV