The Hindu : Changing their lives for good

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 10, 2002

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Changing their lives for good

By Prashant Pandey

NEW DELHI OCT. 9. Robbery, dacoity, drug peddling, murder, rape, land grabbing, financial bungling, you name the crime and they have been accused of it. That was then. Today, a bunch of such accused lodged at the Tihar Central Jail has found a new direction in their life. Not only have they shunned the path of blood and gore, they are also asking their fellow beings to take the path of peace and meditation.

This has been made possible through the meditation lessons imparted to them at Tihar Central Jail by the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan. The body, which has been associated with the jail for the past six years, has been allowed a hall within the premises of Jail No. 3. Regular lessons in meditation and "satsang'' are imparted here.

The idea being not only to soothe the inmates during their stay in the prison, but also to ensure through gentle persuasion that they do not get sucked back into the criminal world once they are released.

The story of Chandra Bhushan Mehta, a resident of Govindpuri, has been exactly that. He was involved in smuggling, dealing in fake currency and was arrested on January 26, 2000, for allegedly murdering his wife.

In the prison, he underwent the lessons and decided one day that he would change his lifestyle for good. "After I was released in March, my old connections wanted me to get back in their fold and resume my criminal activities. However, not only did I ask them to keep away, but also initiated my family into such activities,'' said Chandra Bhushan.

The decision to take to the good path is fraught with difficulties. There was a time when Gyas Ram, a resident of Badarpur, virtually used to "sleep on currency notes'' and sent a chill down the spine of pavement dwellers and vendors.

"I took these lessons and decided to start my life anew. I do not have any permanent source of income now and my family survives on the rent we get from tenants,'' he said.

Not only those belonging to the lower or lower middle class, even high profile have benefited from these lessons.

The chairman of a plantation company -- involved in financial bungling to the tune of several hundred crores -- and a doctor, who was into land grabbing, have also decided to undo their misdeeds when they come out of jail. More than 60 inmates have taken these lessons and decided to change the way they have lived so far.

However, to get accepted in a society to which they have caused irreparable damage is not easy. "People always doubt my intentions. I have caused pain to many families and they find it difficult to accept that I can change for good,'' says Gora, a resident of Mangolpuri, accused of a robbery-cum-murder. But, he is determined. He has chased away all his previous "friends'' and is earning from minor jobs in construction.

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