Title: Yoga clams down
prisoners
Author: Akila Dinakar
Publication: The New
Indian Express
Date: March 14, 2000
"I came in after committing
a murder. Had I gone out, I would have committed two more. Now I see them
all as a part of me," says one of the inmates of Coimbatore Central Prison.
Here is another. "I cook
food for the wardens. Many a time, I have felt like throwing hot food on
their faces. But now I only feel love for them."
These are bytes from
voices of convicts and remand prisoners in the Coimbatore jail. This change
and more, that they talk about was wrought by the Sahaja Sthithi Yoga conducted
for 67 lifers in 1992 by the Isha Yoga Centre.
This has made many convicts
in Tiruchi, Madurai and Coimbatore pen their reformation into beautiful
Tamil verses. Says one, 'Jathikku Kodi Pidithen Komaliyai; Aneedhikku Thunaiyanen
Emaliyai'.
What has brought so much
change that the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department has sent a circular to all
prisons asking the yoga centre to hold SSY classes in Salem, Madurai, Tiruchi
and Palayamkottai before they launch it in Chennai and Vellore? This was
on the request of NHRC director general D R Karthikeyan, Home Secretary
Shantha Sheela Nair and inspector General of Prisons K V S Murthy. This
yoga which translates as 'State of Natural Being' was formulated by Sadguru
Jaggi Vasudev who consecrated the Dhyanalingam at Velliangiri in Coimbatore.
Says N Raja, a former
textile machinery manufacturer, now a yoga teacher, "In Coimbatore, there
is a punishment cell where at least 30 persons are sent to if they create
problems. After 40 days of the classes, none went to the cell. Pranayama,
meditation and a little bit of Hatha Yoga worked wonders."
It was difficult to convince
the inmates. "When one sadhak does Surya Namaskar, two others will pull
his legs," remarks K Shekar, former IITian and TNPL deputy manager, teaching
at Madurai.
More than the prisoners,
the need was felt to hold such classes for warders and police.
And Jaggi Vasudev said
in his recent interaction with prisoners, "the greatest crime one can commit
is to be a joyless person".
