Gurugram police stress mgmt session with ISKCON sparks controversy

A recent stress management session for Gurugram police personnel, led by members of ISKCON, has stirred a debate after a video went viral showing a group of saffron-clad individuals leading officers in chanting "Hare Rama, Hare Krishna." The session, which took place on October 21, was organised as part of an initiative to help officers manage the stress of their roles. However, the footage has drawn mixed reactions from the public, with some questioning what they perceive as the "saffronisation" of the police force.

The Gurugram Police posted about the event on social media platform X, stating, “Under the guidance of Vikas Arora, Police Commissioner of Gurugram, a #Stress_Management_Session was organised for police personnel in collaboration with ISKCON. In this session, #Shri_Aradhya_Gaur_Prabhu explained the causes of stress and ways to remain stress-free through the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.”

Despite the online backlash, a senior police officer defended the session, emphasising that it was a secular initiative. “This was a simple stress management session, completely non-religious, and ISKCON is known to conduct similar programmes worldwide. Cops are constantly under stress, and we bring in different groups for such sessions. Nobody was forced to attend or chant anything. The session lasted an hour, with just five minutes of chanting,” the official said, suggesting the controversy was unwarranted.

ISKCON, which had proactively approached Gurugram Police, shared in a letter to a Deputy Commissioner of Police, “Recognising the immense pressure your team faces daily, we at ISKCON, Sector-67, Gurugram, would like to offer our support by organising an interactive session focused on stress management…Our proposed session aims to provide valuable insights and practical tools for managing stress effectively.”