Madhya Pradesh Police asks trainees to recite Ramcharitmanas to cope with homesickness

The Madhya Pradesh Police will start daily reading sessions of the Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas for recruits at its training centres, The Indian Express reported on Thursday.

The decision was reportedly taken after 300 recruits requested to be shifted to training centres closer to their home districts. Around 7,400 newly-appointed constables, sub-inspectors and deputy superintendents are undergoing training in the state, according to the Hindustan Times.

Raja Babu Singh, the additional director general of police (training), told The Indian Express that Ramcharitmanas, especially the episode involving deity Ram’s 14-year exile, is expected to impart lessons in living away from home to the recruits.

“Lord Ram did not return to Ayodhya for 14 years,” Singh was quoted as saying by the newspaper. “During that time, he learned to live in the forest, built an army and overcame hardship. If we want to teach our recruits lessons, they will have to be from our local culture, which they can relate to.”

On Tuesday, Singh directed district police superintendents overseeing training centres to immediately procure copies of the Ramcharitmanas and begin recitations, the Hindustan Times reported.

The trainees will be asked to recite at least two chapters each night, reported The Indian Express, quoting unidentified officials.

An unidentified police officer posted at a training institute said the sessions would not be mandatory for non-Hindu trainees, the Hindustan Times reported. “The meaning...

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