Eighty-nine inmates of Arthur Road Jail appeared for the Gandhi Peace exam, organised by the Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal. ‘Anda’ cell (egg shaped high-security cell) inmates also appeared for the exam, out of which two topped the test with 79 out of 80 marks, TRK Somaiya of the Mandal said.
A jail official also appeared for the exam held yesterday, the results of which were out the same day. “I came to know true value of truth and ‘ahimsa’. I realised my mistake and vowed not to go astray in life,” one of the Anda cell prisoners expressed in feedback after the exam.
The inmate had also written a letter to Sarvodaya Mandal last year, expressing an interest in reading books on Mahatma Gandhi and to appear for the exam. The Mandal had also sent him Gandhi’s autobiography, Somaiya said.
Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal has organised the Gandhi Peace examination for the last ten years in various jails of Maharashtra. The result has been inspiring for the organisation as well as inmates and officials of various jails.
Its aim is to evoke a sense of regret among jail inmates and to inculcate qualities of Satya and Ahimsa (truth and non-violence) among them to help them become productive citizens after their release.
The examination was conducted under the supervision of Jail Superintendent Bharat Bhosale with active support of Senior Jailer YB Baviskar and Jail Teacher Ankush Dhengale. Laxman Gole, an ex-con who confessed his crime before a judge after reading Gandhi’s autobiography, lectured inmates on Gandhian values.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)