Babu Parmar (name changed), 40, convicted in a murder case, has been behind bars for the past four years. Introverted and not accustomed to the idea of traditional counselling, he participated in a self-expression assessment session, albeit reluctantly, where he was asked to draw anything he wanted on a piece of paper. The session was conducted periodically by experts to assess his mental health.
Parmar’s earlier sketches were darker — the human figures had their eyes closed, hands underdeveloped or behind their backs. His scenery drawings would often reflect what he observed in Ahmedabad Central Jail, including bars, barracks or policemen. However, two months into the exercise, his creations became more refined — the human figures now had arms stretched out and, occasionally, Parmar would include the sun, birds or plants in his freehand drawings.
