More than a decade ago, in 1980’s, Guru Maharaj Ji stepped onto the pious land of Punjab, not just as a mystic but also as a visionary. The deep anguish of a compassionate Father, concerned with the human plight and predicament, was more than visible during his talks, even to a commoner. He could envision the ongoing declining trend of the society, which if left unchecked will plunge mankind into absolute doom. Hence, He resolved to ameliorate and eradicate evils through establishing peace in the world. For this, He chose to employ the mighty weapon of all past masters, i.e., Brahm Gyan- the Divine Knowledge, which alone can bring about the inner transformation so vital for the seed of humanness to sprout from within. The Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan was started by Ashutoshji Maharaj in 1983 in Jalandhar. Active in the areas of social work and spirituality for the last twenty years, the Sansthan has branches in the USA, Canada and Germany. The Sansthan takes up issues of public importance and organises programmes for awarenesss of the same. They organised a Grameen Swasthya Abhiyan in Delhi in February this year, where the focus was on rural health. More recently, the Sansthan conducted a spiritual awareness programme in Tihar Jail where the inmates were taught music. Our Philosophy: A. Why Prisoner Reformation? : It is a known fact that no one is a born criminal. Circumstances, bad company, vices, negative emotions and certain social situations act as catalyst in bringing out the animal in a normal human being. As prisoners, they either lament for their past and go into depression or they turns out to be more violent and cruel. In both the cases, they need Spiritual psychosomatic help to reform from bad to good; from wrong to right and give them a second chance better their lives. Internationally too, prisons have undergone a change to reforming prisoners. Prisons are no longer viewed as "Condemned Cells" or "Punishment Centers", but as "Reformation Centers...!" Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan understands the necessity of Prisoner Reformation - a Divine Reformation of a Sinner to a Winner, from within and out. B. Our Solution: The ill feelings and thoughts arising in the mind lead a man into committing crimes. Thus the first approach should be to cleanse the mind of all negative thoughts and emotions; i.e., cleansing of the psyche of an individual. The Philosophy of Karma too acts on every individual. Spiritual psychoanalytical treatment is therefore necessary to control the mind and overcome the past karmas. The only solution for this Herculean task is to impart the Brahm Gyan (Divine Knowledge) – the process of Mystics Meditation. To work out this restorative and reformative ideology so as to cure the ill psyche of the inmates, the Sansthan, under the distinguished leadership and guidance of His Holiness Sri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji, commenced an exclusive project inside the Tihar Prisons (Central Jail of New Delhi, and Asia's largest penitentiary) premises. This movement behind the bars was named as 'Antarkranti' - an Inner Revolution. This movement aims not at subjecting the body or psyche of the individual to torture, instead, to illumine the person’s inner Self by tuning it to the Supreme. C. How inmates are benefited? : The organization is continuously working towards betterment of life of the inmates. Thousands of inmates have been initiated to the Brahm Gyan (Divine Knowledge) by the divine grace of His Holiness Shri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji. As a result, the inmates have a strong urge to become an ideal citizen and a true human being. Many have become teetotalers and prefer vegetarian food. Several have inculcated humane and divine traits. They have understood consequences of vices and negative emotions and have shown positive inclination towards good attitude and behaviors.
(Santosh Kumar Choudhary)
