Stress management session held for Gurugram Police leads to controversy

Gurugram Police have courted a controversy by holding a ‘stress management’ session for its cops recently.

Its video has gone viral on social media with many questioning the ISKCON members chanting ‘Hare Rama, Hare Krishna’ in a conference room full of cops.

The session is from October 21 as Gurugram Police had then posted pictures of the ISKCON members interacting with police personnel in a hall where the banner of Haryana Police can be seen.

Gurugram Police had posted on X, “Under the guidance of Shri Vikas Arora, Police Commissioner of Gurugram, a #Stress Management Session was organized 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.”

Though the police issued no official comment, a senior police official told The Tribune that it was a simple stress management session that was completely non-religious.

“Cops are constantly under stress. Such sessions are not new to Gurugram Police and we get different groups to conduct them. They have their own ways: some use chants, others exercises. Nobody was forced to attend or chant anything. It was a one-hour session where speakers elaborated on dealing with stress and only five minutes were spent on chants,” said the official.

ISKCON had proactively contacted a Deputy Commissioner of Police with a request to hold a session for Gurugram Police.

“We sincerely appreciate the tireless dedication of Gurugram Police in maintaining peace and security across the city. 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. In today’s world, where rapid modernisation and the overwhelming use of technology have led to social isolation and increased stress levels, it’s crucial to address these challenges, even within the uniformed forces. Our proposed session aims to provide valuable insights and practical tools for managing stress effectively,” reads a letter.