Letter to BS: Kerala's 'pay and stay in prison' plan is an interesting idea

With reference to “A slice of jail life” (Chinese Whispers, July 19), I think the Kerala government has taken the idea from the Telangana government which had launched a “feel the jail” scheme in September 2016, under which tourists were allowed to stay in a jail for a small fee. I do not know how successful that was but I hope the scheme takes off on a better note in Kerala. 

It is unfortunate that the government of India is yet to bring back Indian fugitives from foreign countries. Once they get a place in our jails, the rates for giving them company can probably be doubled. Incidentally, why doesn’t Karnataka or Bihar launch a special scheme for tourists to stay with Sasikala and Lalu Yadav, a prized stay indeed for tourists after all. A word of caution to states promoting jail tourism: It should not end up like the film Rock starring Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery and others, where the disenchanted marine commander and his group take tourists as hostage.

N Nagarajan  Secunderabad

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