This Blog is about Felicity J Ainsworth-Smith. She is 26 years old. An Architect by profession. A Britisher by nationality.
She turned up on my doorstep. Literally 'turned up' , on a stormy rainy March night with a quiet "Are you Nandini Dutta?"
She brought out a piece of paper ..... a email printout. The mail was from Shantam. Shantam wrote to her stating clearly that if ever she was in India, she was welcome at his Mum's house. There would be food and also shelter of a kind and many, many animals. The address was enclosed. Shantam did not give his Mother's email id or her phone number. The girl did not think it was strange not to have a mail id or a phone number, and just come to the address. She said the offer was made in good faith, so why need she worry?
Felicity has done her degree from Manchester, has lived in a small town in the Midlands all her life. She has a Mother (who is a potter), a grandmother, an aunt and two cousins.
"What brought you to India?" , I asked.
She said she has come to dig for her roots. Yes, she is part Indian. Her father is an Indian from Patiala. Punjab.
"So, did you find your Father?"
"No. No. My Father is in England. In Bristol".
This young woman spoke so little. I am not very good at conversation. I hardly knew this girl, and here she was, with an email printout and all, while a full fledged storm was raging outside. I offered her my very frugal dinner. She agreed. I asked her about the 'shelter' Shantam had promised. She declined. She was staying at Sudder Street, but would not mind spending a few days at my house-by-the-graveyard ...... " later in the week, perhaps?"
"So, Felicity, did you find your Father's family? Why did you Father not come with you?"
"No, Ma'am, My Father cannot come. But, yes, I did trace my Father's family. Besides, I also have come to India as a professional Architect."
"Oh. What kind of Indian Architecture?"
"Prisons. Prisons in India and other parts of the world."
In my wildest dreams, I had not ever given thought to Prison Architecture. Very gradually (this young girl is the quietest person I have met in a long, long time), over a period of a week or ten days that she was in Calcutta, the story unraveled.
Felicity told me that she has come to India because of an award she (or the firm she works for) has won for designing an ideal prison. Prison conditions are appallingly bad all over the world. British prisons are almost 'inhuman' in their architectural designs. Indian prisons were not too far behind. Felicity has come to India to visit 11 Schools of Architecture to deliver short lecture-modules on Prison Architecture. She has been interacting with the faculty and the students of the Schools, and basically "spreading awareness". Not social awareness, but something in the way of Architecture and Design and such like. The particular interest she has in Prison Architecture was because her Father is a 'lifer' in a British jail, and she has been visiting prisons and jails since she was a twelve-year old.
It is such a pity, that the cramped quarters of a prison (6' X 4') strikes a 12 year old hard enough to make life changing decisions. And yet the Social Service Wing of several Governments go completely 'blind' on such issues. Yes, she always wanted to study Architecture. The prison idea was always there at the back of her mind. I did not ask her about her Father. She did not reveal much either. She wanted to visit the Alipore Jail in Calcutta. She showed me e mails where she and Shantam had communicated on this issue. This was before, much before, she had actually designed this Idealised Version of a jail. Shantam had offered the help that his Mother could give. "She is quite good at all this kind of stuff" where the exact words. Hence, I arranged a
visit ......which led to several visits. Felicity walked around, talked to the inmates. No awkwardness, her disarming smile can put most people at ease. She talks very little anyway. She listens. She knows Hindi ..... at least well enough to get through to people. We spent a week together .... on and off ...... talking about prisons, India, Punjab and many other things. She spent three days at my house. Loved Skippy, loved Chico (who for once was quite kind to a guest). Ate rice and dal and curry. We visited North Calcutta. I showed her all the balconies of Calcutta that I adore. She was fascinated with the river. We had a good time.
She took the train to Delhi where she did manage to locate more uncles and cousins. She visited their ancestral village near Ambala. She 'loved' Red Fort and the Old Delhi area. In between she lectured at the SPA and at the BHU. She thought Banaras was 'ageless' At IIT-KGP she wanted to know about the MIG aircraft. Felicity went off to Mysore and Bangalore. leaving her luggage behind at my house. She travelled second class sleeper on the Indian Railway coaches..... it was not too warm in March.
Felicity has been on my mind for sometime. She phones from different towns where she is on this lecture-tour awareness scheme. She will be going back to the UK in July, and I hope some day there will be an ideal prison for life-time prisoners and perhaps for all other prisoners too.
If for no other reason, for the sake of Felicity.
