Kiran Bedi gets a 'punishment' posting in Tihar jail, where some of the most dangerous convicts are imprisoned. She transforms this hell on earth into a veritable Ashram.
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Tihar Jail
The jail warden led me
through a dark winding passage.
I was almost suffocated
by the humid stench of the open gutters
that lined the walls.
Soon we came to an opening
where hundreds of people,
all dressed in striped rags,
stood looking at me in wonder.
The warden suddenly broke the silence
by yelling some commands at the crowd.
Where there was space
for 2,500 prisoners,
more than 10,000 were herded together
within the walls of Tihar jail.
I thought to myself,
if there was a hell on earth,
this was it.
That very moment I realized
why I had been posted
as the Inspector General, or IG,
of the infamous Tihar jail in Delhi.
I had to do something
to improve the condition of the prisoners.
I knew that it would be
the toughest challenge so far in my career.
I began to visit the prisoners every day.
I was told
that the IGs posted there before me
would never set foot inside the jail premises.
In the beginning, the prisoners would crowd around me
and not speak much as they feared wardens.
I would sit among large groups
and discuss their problems.
I knew that apart from improving the hygiene
and general condition of the prison,
I had to also keep the prisoners busy so that
they would not have any free time to get into mischief.
I started by introducing some simple
but effective routines for them
such as walks around the prison, sporting events
and cultural events like singing and acting.
I soon formed
a group of trusted officials
who helped me.
A major problem that my team and I faced
was that of religious groupings
and enmity between them.
To put an end to this danger
we began to celebrate festivals from all religions,
like Rakhi, Holi, Ramzaan and Christmas.
This helped the inmates
to accept each other’s religious practices better
and even feel good
about participating in them.
I also made sure
plenty of books were available.
Soon, many universities
began to offer courses for the prisoners.
We introduced meditation
and helped them think positively
and plan their life outside prison.
I was posted in Tihar Jail
between 1993 and 1995.
Those two years were the most fruitful years of my life.
On my last day,
as I went on my usual round of the prison,
I saw what could only be described
as an ashram of Indian rishis.
Hundreds of hardened criminals,
who had committed the worst of crimes,
were sitting peacefully in meditation.
The grounds were green and filled with sunlight.
Inmates were either preparing for exams
or learning a craft
that they were passionate about.
Story: Kiran Bedi
Story Adaptation: Ananya Parthibhan
Illustrations: M Kathiravan
Music: Acoustrics (Students of AR Rahaman)
Translation: Madhu B Joshi
Narration: Kiran Bedi
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