I came across this interesting news item..
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In an attempt to bring a change in the mindset of prisoners, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has decided to gift them copies of “Bhagavad Gita”.
The TTD, which manages the affairs of Lord Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati, said it would distribute copies of the holy book among prisoners lodged in various jails in Andhra Pradesh.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the TTD governing body, which looks after India’s richest Hindu temple.
TTD chairman Karunakar Reddy, who presided over the meeting at Tirupati, hoped that distribution of “Bhagavad Gita” copies and ‘prasadam’ would bring about a change in the attitude of the prisoners.
In this context, I must add that the ISKCON has does considerable work in reforming prisoners through the “ISKCON Prison Ministry” which goes all the way back to 1962, when Srila Prabhupada visited Tihar Prison in New Delhi. “If you give me the chance to speak to all the members of the Jail,” he wrote to superintendent Sri Puri, “It is quite possible for me to turn them into ideal characters.”
Simply being jailed does not reform a person. However introspection into their criminal behaviour and understanding what is right and wrong with the guidance of scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita can go a long way since it tackles the root cause of crime – and reforms it!
Certainly a noble task worth appreciating…
