Music has a healing touch for Raipur inmates

Music has a healing touch for Raipur inmates
ANI
Raipur, November 29

Music is known to have a healing touch which is precisely what prison authorities in Raipur city are using on the inmates.The new therapy seems to be working wonders for all those
prisoners who are mentally challenged and spend the entire day
learning and singing devotional songs.Authorities say music is having a very therapeutic and positive effect on the minds of prisoners and it is getting reflected in their general behaviour. There are inmates who had been notorious criminals at one point of time in their lives, and still others who repent having committed crimes in outrage. Cut off from their
families and friends, many inmates started showing abnormal behaviour once condemned behind the four walls of their cells.

"This gives us extreme pleasure, all this singing we do in praise of the Lord. We had no idea of things before this. Who I am etc, nothing, but now it"s very good. I like it a lot here," said Jaipal Yadav, a prisoner.There are others like Sakharan, who is barely able to speak because of his mental condition, but he is able to sing clearly in nice melodious tunes. "I like to sing in the Lord"s praise," he says before breaking into a song.

The prison officials say that now inmates do not throw their usual tantrums by breaking television sets or throwing utensils. "Gradually there has been a tremendous change in their behaviour, their habits and attitudes. Today they can do self-management and
today these people can take full care of themselves. I feel, where all medicines and treatments had failed then music is what brought hope and life back to them," said K.K. Gupta, superintendent of Raipur prison.Immersed in singing devotional songs in praise of
their god, these inmates are slowly learning to manage their own chores and
have even started conversing with the other inmates.

Source: HT City, New Delhi

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