A DATE WITH KIRAN BEDI

LECTURES –

IGNCA had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Krian Bedi, probably “the most known police face” as Prof. T.K. Oomen, said talk about her experiences in Tihar Jail – Spiritual Journey from Indisde the Jail (June 12).  A police officer of outstanding merit, Dr. Bedi was posted as IG (Prisons) at Tihar Jail.  In a touching narration Dr. Bedi described her first visit to the jail.  She said it was her first experience inside a jail.  “I have caught criminals, probably in thousands.  But I had never encountered them where they were sent.”  She said the posting, though given as a punishment, brought about a completeness to her understanding.  “I had seen criminals before they are caught and after they are released.  I had not seen them in the intervening stage.  And this is what I understood.”

 
She said when she entered the jail wards, she encountered thousands of faces, in all moods, anxious, resigned, afraid and angry.  All her rehearsed questions escaped her mind and just to strike a note of cordiality, she asked, “do you pray?”  There was no answer.  The next time she asked, there were a few, very few hesitant nods.  After few more attempts, she raised her voice and asked, she was told that they prayed once in a while, nothing regular or routine.

Dr. Bedi said she asked them if they knew the song “e malik tere bande hum.”  She asked them to sing it with her.  At the end of the song, Dr. Bedi realized that she had stumbled upon something that could change the lives of the convicts, for the better.  She introduced Vipasana (meditation) that brought about a change in the outlook of the prisoners.  Her method worked and the idea has been implemented in jails world over.

Dr.  Bedi herself has been invited by governments all around the world to speak on the subject.  Dr. Bedi said Human Reform Technology is something India can export to the world.  She also spoke strongly against death penalty saying being in jail itself was taking away life.  Death penalty is like killing a man already dead, she said.

On the occasion, a book on a successful experiment in reforming criminals with Ram Naam (the chanting of Ram’s name) written by Dr.  Gautam Chatterjee was released by Dr. Bedi.  “Reformation by Ram Naam”  recounts a spiritual experiment in Indore Central Jail and among the tribal community Bhils.  It yielded phenomenal results.

 

 

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