BHUBANESWAR: Truck driver Hari (name changed) from Jhumpura village in Keonjhar district has left his dark and devious past behind.
Convicted for rape and murder, he has served his sentence and now trying to lead an honourable life.
The path to Hari’s reformation has not been easy but made possible by his sheer will to shun crime that was ably supported by the power of yoga, says Gitishree Mohanty, his trainer and a constant guide in life.
Gitishree Mohanty, an accomplished yoga teacher, first met Hari as an inmate of the Keonjhar district jail in 2009 when she ventured into the prison as part of a Art of Living (AoL) project on prisoner reforms.
He was among the handful of prisoners who came forward to take up yoga practice at their request.
“Hari was visibly depressed and in a state of despair. After five days into yoga and meditation, he himself began to experience the change in him. He began to be at peace within, which reflected in his sleep and calm demeanour. Today, he is an inter-state truck driver having successfully renounced the path of crime. He has also been cured of all his addictions to intoxicants. Even on journey, he takes time out to practice yoga”, Gitishree says.
Like Hari, scores of other prisoners lodged in the district jail as well as Anandapur sub-jail have made the transformational journey, thanks to yoga.
Raghu (name changed) was a drug addict and HIV-infected when he was caught in a case and imprisoned.
He came in touch with yoga sessions being conducted by Gitishree and her team eight years back. Today, Raghu himself is a yoga teacher, propagating the science among the people.
And, has not touched drugs for eight years.
Groups of prisoners practising yoga and meditation every morning has become a routine sight in both the jails over the last decade.
The inmates consider Gitishree as their inspiration while the 42-year-old teacher says it is her tool to reform the people who have strayed from the path and bring them back to the mainstream.
“Serving punishment, the prisoners go through hell. They live in a zone of self-doubt and self-hate, lose all their self-confidence.
Yoga helps them in bringing positivity in their life and motivating them to shun evil practices. It guides them in releasing their fears and adopt righteous path.
We have seen plenty of examples in the last decade”, she says.
Trained in Sudarshan Kriya and other forms of yoga under AoL, she took up teacher-training to help the society through a more refined approach.
Each batch in the prison she undertakes has at least 40 prisoners. As visiting jails regularly is not possible she has a trained disciple who ensures that the inmates practice it every day.
She also visits rural areas in Keonjhar district and is presently concentrating on Joda where she is working with youth who have fallen for drugs and other forms of intoxicants.
“Convincing the youth, particularly in the age bracket of 13 to 19, is the toughest part but once they accept and practice, they themselves are hooked.”
Gitishree’s decision to teach yoga to prisoners had met with expected resistance from her family and friends. But she persisted and won them over.
“Today, not only I but my family are happy to see our efforts making a difference to such people’s lives”, she says.