Bibliographic Information
Title of the Book: Prisoner No.100: An Account of My Nights and Days in an Indian Prison
Author: Anjum Zamrooda Habib
Translated By: Sahba Husain
Publisher: Zubaan, 2012
ISBN: 9381017409, 9789381017401
Length: 217 pages
Subjects: Biography & Autobiography and Personal Memoirs
Zamrooda Habib’s prison diary is a harrowing account of an individual on an under trial, bringing to tears the reader with her struggle in Tihar Jail for five years. As a matter of fact, Prisoner No. 100: An Account of My Nights and Days in an Indian is one of the finest ever jail dairies written by women prisoner in the history of world.
The book is not just reflecting on realistic paradigms but takes reader to philosophy of pain. Zamrooda Habib has dwelled on the aspect of pain so beautifully that one gets absorbed in the character feeling that as if it is the reader going through this experience.
The author has described how the life of Jail dehumanizes the humans and one rather than getting reformed gets destroyed further. The discrimination faced by the prisoners of Kashmir on pretext of being ‘anti nationals’ by fellow prisoners and jail staff is aptly described in the book in number of episodes and events.
The author also has not just lamented on rhetoric and vividly shown how number of prisoners share each other’s pain and how few exceptions among jail staff are filled with love while as large number too are filled with hate and corruption.
In the book Zamrooda Habib shows how close bonded family helps prisoner to deal with the tragedies in jail as from sisters, brother to nephew all were often comforting her during meetings when she was about to give up on the life of hardships in jail.
The author shows how faith can be often the only source in prison. From taunts, quarrels of prisoners to jail staff to long waits for the hearing dates it is the only faith that gives some sort of reprieve in otherwise mentally killing environment of jail.
Zamrooda Habib is not miser in giving due credits as she praises Kiran Bedi for whatever positive changes and reforms are visible in Tihar jail are visible due to her persona.
She also describes how via making candles and attending painting classes in jail the author tries to romance with creativity despite all odds. It is through the magnificent description in the book we learn that those hard hearts who would try to take down Zamrooda Habib on every instance turn friendly due to unbelievable softness of the nature of author.
She has also reflected how at that time despite being prominent political force Hurriyat conference failed to take her case as being women was her fault and she mattered least to them.
Zamrooda Habib has also bravely described that falling ill is no less than a curse; she has to then resort to clapping, shouting or banging on the iron bars of the cell with metal utensils to draw the attention of the staff.
Above all the author has beautifully highlighted how love and humanity can conquer the most evil circumstances.
