Yoga to help jail inmates shun violence

LUCKNOW - Prisoners in a jail in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district will be given yoga lessons to help them overcome violent behaviour and tendencies, an official said Thursday.

“The entire exercise is aimed at making the jail premises violence-free that would immensely assist the inmates in leading a normal life,” Jail Superintendent S.K. Bhatia told reporters in Ghazipur district, some 300 km from Lucknow.

“We are really concerned about the recent clashes among the prisoners and now feel that yoga is the best option to counter such incidents,” he said, adding that yoga sessions will begin within two weeks.

According to jail officials, at least eight incidents of clashes have taken place in the last one month leaving several inmates injured. In some of the clashes, the prisoners even targeted jail officials.

“Most of the clashes are simply related to fight for supremacy between different groups of prisoners,” said a jail official preferring anonymity.

On a number of occasions, the prisoners become so violent that jail authorities are forced to seek assistance from police to control the situation, he said.

A group of yoga teachers have already been roped in for upcoming sessions, he said.

“During the sessions, we would also focus on those exercises that help in anger management. After all, our motive is to enable prisoners shun violence,” said Bhatia.

There are around 600 inmates in Ghazipur prison, of which 150 are murder convicts.