The Cuddalore district administration, in association with Ezhuthaga Iyakkam (Write Movement) and the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department, has launched a programme to empower inmates of the Cuddalore Central Prison to put pen to paper, enabling them to become published authors. The programme offers them training, mentorship, as well as a path to redemption through literature.
The initiative called Sirayil Mulaitha Siragugal (wings that grew in prison) was formally launched at the Cuddalore Central Prison by former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu on Wednesday (February 11, 2026). It offers training to prison inmates on writing books, helping transform their thoughts into the written word. In its first phase, 101 inmates, who have expressed interest, have been chosen to be developed as writers.
Volunteers attached to Ezhuthaga Iyyakam will visit the prison and conduct bi-monthly sessions, guiding inmates through every stage: from drafting raw thoughts to editing, and then final publication.
According to Mr. Irai Anbu: “This isn’t just writing – it’s transformation. This project is a novel endeavour not just for India but for the world. In 1994, while serving as Additional Collector in Cuddalore, I organised a speech competition for the inmates here under Arivoli Iyakkam. For the first time in India, we provided vocational training to inmates to sustain their livelihoods, auctioned the products they made, and deposited the proceeds into their bank accounts.”
