Chandigarh, October 2: The impact of Mahatama Gandhi’s philosophy came to the fore in a most unexpected place-the Model Jail, Burail, when last year around 200 inmates came forward to take part in an innovative Gandhi Peace Exam. Today, international day of nonviolence and Gandhi Jayanti marked a new beginning for fifty inmates who got themselves enrolled for the new batch which started today.
For inmates. Tiding over stress, pain and growing isolation, inmates gathered at the Library of the Jail to receive autobiographies of Mahatma Gandhi from Parmod Sharma, Coordinator, Yuvsatta & Dr. Satinder Dhillon, Convenor, Campaign for Peace-city Chandigarh. Motivational to the core, the programme christened as ‘Gandhi Peace Exam’ unique by all standards is designed by Yuvsatta (an NGO) in collaboration with Chandigarh Prisons Department and Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal which is also instrumental in spreading this programme in almost all Jails of Maharashtra.
Dr. Satinder Dhillon said in her address that we must HEAL our society! We must cultivate compassion, understanding, love, and social responsibility in ourselves, in our families, in our communities, in our countries, and in our world. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world”.
Mr. Parmod Sharma, Coordinator of Yuvsatta said that this programme is a step forward to bring these people into mainstream of society, by giving them an opportunity to read about Mahatma, involving them in weekly orientation lectures on Gandhian philosophy and motivating them to participate in an objective type exam at the end of this one month long programme. In between the academic programme they were also shown world acclaimed films like ‘Do Ankhe Barah Hath’, ‘Gandhi’ & ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’.
Prominent amongst those who participated in this function includes Parveen Kumar, Welfare Officer of Chandigarh Prisons Department.