There’s more to P Selvam than being a murder convict serving a life sentence in Puzhal Prison.
A painter and sculptor, he has a lot of fans who cannot stop gushing over his attention to detail.
CHENNAI: The 36-year-old Selvam discontinued his studies in Class 9 to support his family — a decision that changed his life and after many years landed him in prison, as a life-term murder convict. But this did not hold him back from being the breadwinner of the family. By painting and sculpting behind bars,
he still makes ends meet and ensures his family doesn’t struggle for their basic needs.
D Selvam alias Selva Kumar, of Pulianthope, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case in December 2010. “Following a fall out with the family members, he allegedly killed another man in the locality,” said V Rukmani Priyadarshini, superintendent of Puzhal prison-I. He had discontinued his education to support his father, who was a carpenter.
“Though I was into carpentry, occasionally I used to draw portraits of leaders and sell them. But this was never full-time as I never made big money from my drawings,” smiles Selvam. Wearing a white shirt and black pant, he had come home on a three-day parole to meet his sick mother and had brought along with him an unfinished sculpture of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa to work on.
“I began sculpting only after I went to prison. A week after I was lodged in the cell, we were given books from the school that ran classes in jail. I used to draw pictures of leaders and Mother Teresa. The higher officials, who observed this, encouraged me,” recalls Selvam. “People usually picture prison as a dark place where inmates are tortured and abused. I was also surprised to know that there were courses that actually worked to transform prisoners and ensured that they could survive after release.”
He joined a sculpting workshop, and with the help of another inmate (who was a doctor), Selvam bought books. “He also used to teach me and translate the English books on sculpting for me. The officials had assigned three inmates including me to draw on the prison walls outside. We completed that in eight months. Later, I started making models of Mother Teresa,Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and others,” recalls Selvam.
The products were sold at the prison bazaar. Sometimes, Selvam goes through the newpapers and sketches photos of people he finds in the obituary section. He hands them over to his wife Ramya along with a letter addressed to the family members. In the letter, he narrates the incidents that landed him in prison and his keen desire to support his family. “Some are happy to buy such work, others simply reject it,” he said.
His day starts at the sculptor workshop at 8 am and winds up by 4 pm, when he hits the stone bed in a block at the Puzhal prison with a cup of tea to chat with his friends. He normally takes two to 20 days to finish one piece of art, depending on its size. The material used is provided by Guru Chandra Trust, which works to promote art.
“When I went to teach the inmates, Selvam was keen on pursuing a profession in sculpting. He would attend workshop regularly and attentively,” recalls C Selvakumar, secretary of the trust. Seconding this, Rukmani adds, “Many senior officials have appreciated Selvam’s work and dedication; even those from outside are impressed by his eye for perfection.”