In an unusual attempt to bring a sense of calm and reflection to police lock-ups, police have installed speakers outside the lock-ups of all eight police stations in Khanna and one Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) unit in the police district to play Gurbani shabads, bhajans and other devotional music at low volume.
The initiative, titled ‘Sound of Hope’, was launched on the initiative of senior superintendent of police (SSP) Darpan Ahluwalia, who said being in custody should not mean that a person is deprived of an opportunity to reflect on their actions and consider reform.
“The speakers play spiritual and introspective music in Punjabi and Hindi at a low volume, with religious compositions from different faiths included in the playlist. Station house officers of police stations have been instructed to ensure that the music remains soft enough to avoid inconvenience to staff, visitors or people living around the police stations,” the SSP said.
For the Khanna police, the initiative is an attempt to add a human dimension to an otherwise stressful environment.
“Policing should not be restricted to apprehending offenders and putting them through the legal process, it should also leave room for a person to reflect on their actions and consider a different path,” the SSP said.
{{/usCountry}}“Policing should not be restricted to apprehending offenders and putting them through the legal process, it should also leave room for a person to reflect on their actions and consider a different path,” the SSP said.
{{/usCountry}}The idea reportedly occurred to Ahluwalia during a visit to the Punjab and Haryana civil secretariat in Chandigarh. While travelling in a lift there, she heard shabads being played and experienced a sense of calm. The experience prompted her to consider whether a similar feeling could be extended to people in police custody.
“If spiritual music can bring peace to the mind even for a few moments, perhaps it can also provide some solace to a person sitting in a lock-up,” the SSP said.