My prison journey : an Incredible Achievements

By BHANUBHAI PATEL

Have you ever heard or read about a world record in education in the most adverse environment of the prison? Probably the answer would be 'No'. I must admit that I was fortunate to accomplish such an achievement in the prison and outside the prison. I am very curious to share with you and reveal to you all the aspects and secrets of my achievement that led to the world record in education in prison.

'Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records' a maxim by famous maxim writer 'William Arthur Ward' which has been proved appropriate by my achievement. Because I accomplished this achievement in the most adverse and indifferent prison environment. The goal was very tough and difficult because education and prison are very contradictory and conflicting in nature. Generally, studying in a prison environment is a very difficult task. It's like swimming in the opposite direction of the flow.

Have I also revealed what kind of environment is there in prison? From outside, only projections and guesses can be made about it. Most prisoners in prison suffer from negative factors such as anxiety, frustration, worry, fear, depression, despair, anger, feelings of retaliation, etc. Sometimes they may lose their mental stability and mental balance. Incarceration makes life difficult for prisoners inside the prison and outside the prison after their release. In such a prison's negative environment, it is very difficult to form a circle of mental peace, mental balance, and positive attitude for noble and sacred activities like education which needs a special role of the sound mind. At the age of fifty, I began to study again in life in an adverse and negative environment of prison.

Even though both my place of study (prison) and my age (50+) did not match with the activities of study, I completed 31 educational courses in this adverse environment of the prison, At the same time, performing the duty of managing study centers located inside the prison premises and set a world record in education. This book has been written with my sublime desire to share my immense pleasure and contentment of my unique, unparalleled achievement and how I accomplished it. After being released from prison, I continued my study while doing a full-time job at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University and completed 23 more educational courses taking the tally of my educational courses to 54. I completed them with good grades and in just 12 years. Being a prisoner is destiny; but establishing a world record as a prisoner in education in prison is a testament to the ability to shape one's personality with strong morale, self-confidence, and inner strength.

This book is based on my prison experience or my prison journey and in my prison experience, education was at the center. I chose the medium of this book to convey my message to my readers revealing how I accomplished this gigantic task. Hopefully, this life story will prove to be inspiring to you and will encourage you with great vigor and passion to achieve your unique, unimaginable achievements and to conquer the highest peaks in life.

With best wishes.

"Prison is a laboratory of turning difficulties and adversities into success."  – Bhanu Patel

• Language: हिन्दी
• Publisher: BHANUBHA PATEL
• Release date: Dec 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393331919

Book preview

Dedicated

To

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My Life Transformer

And

Where I Spent 8 Years 3 Months

And 26 Days of My Life.

CONTENTS

Foreword....................................................................vi

Preface.......................................................................xi

Acknowledgement........................................................xii

Introduction...............................................................xiv

Talk Of The Heart....................................................1

Police, Laws, Prison and Society...........................................7

Departure To Prison........................................................17

Prison Rules, Operations, And Prisoner's Daily Routines.........26

Beliefs Prevailing In Society About Prison Foods....................33

My Education In Prison...................................................41

Study Center Management And Study In Prison....................48

Golden Period Of Sabarmati Central Prison.........................62

The Secret Of My Achievement In Prison.............................69

Interviews In Prison And Release From Prison.......................92

Afterword..........................................................................97

List Of Educational Courses Completed ..................................101

Photo Gallery.....................................................................106

About Author ..................................................................120

Important Massage .............................................................121

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I am delighted to write this prologue, not only because I have known Bhanubhai Patel for the last fifteen years, but also because he has become a source of inspiration and enthusiasm for the student community through his incredible achievements in education.

My first meeting with Bhanubhai took place in 2005 when I visited the Gujarat Vidyapith's study center in Ahmedabad Central  Bhanubhai was studying at Gujarat Vidyapith’s prison study center in one of the courses of the Gujarat Vidyapith which means he was my student. At that time, I was the Director of the Department of Adult Education and Lifelong Education at Gujarat Vidyapith. I was really surprised to see Bhanubhai, who seemed straightforward and easy-going by nature, studying three or four or more courses together with the responsibility of managing the study centers of different universities working in the prison.  This surprised me because such an event was witnessed by me for the first time in my life. His life story is also very interesting and encouraging. Many ups and downs, twists and turns, difficult situations or circumstances in his life that he overcame with determination, firmness, without being frustrated or discouraged, with a healthy mind, is a strong proof of his ability and resilience. His depiction of all these events and happenings in this book in simple and easy language seems to go very deep into the mind.

During meetings with Bhanubhai after his release from the prison, I advised and suggested him to write a book about his unique educational achievement and prison experience, but due to unavoidable circumstances, the writing of the book was delayed. Eventually, Bhanubhai made good use of Corona's lockdown period and wrote a book. There is no doubt that his prison experience and his unique achievement in prison will provide a new dimension of encouragement and inspiration for today's students, inmates, and any enthusiastic, ambitious person.  Also, vivid information about the prison atmosphere and the daily routine of the inmates is presented to the readers. Bhanubhai's unparalleled achievement in the delicate and sensitive activity of education in the most difficult conditions of the prison, and also at the age of over 50, is commendable. Adopting a lifestyle with a completely positive attitude in a completely negative environment, achieving his goal in a difficult situation is living proof of his strong morale and determination. He has revealed this mystery in this book in his own unique style.

I am writing this foreword on his inspiring memoirs as I can say with confidence that this book will be a boon for the academic world, student community, and other enthusiastic and ambitious individuals to realize their dream and achieve their goal or achievement in any adverse and difficult situation or circumstances. Those who have a sense of darkness around their lives will experience light in their lives.

Best wishes,

Dr. Sandhyaben Thaker

Author, Retired Dean, Director, Chairman (HOD)

Lifelong Learning Department, Gujarat Vidyapith,

Ahmadabad (Gujarat)

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Adversity is the foundation of virtue and success - Japanese proverb. It is my sincere attempt to put before my wise readers, the event that happened in my life proving above mentioned Japanese proverb right and most appropriate. For that, I feel a sense of joy.

While I was serving a sentence in the Sabarmati Central prison I was, at the age of 50, studying different courses run by different universities and educational institutes in the prison through their study centers located in the prison, in a very adverse, indifferent, dull and inactive environment. When I was successfully completing degrees, diplomas, and certificates courses, I had no idea that I was moving towards setting a world record in education in prison. And I broke the world record in education in prison. My prison experience is very different from other inmates.  Breaking the world record in education in prison has also inspired me to write this book and I could not resist my inexplicable desire to share this experience with the world. At last, this inspiring book was born.

The thought and inspiration of writing a book about my achievements in prison came from the then Addition Director General of Police (Prison) Gujarat Shri P. C. Thakur and a prison head of one of the south Indian States who met me in a workshop organized at Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, in which I participated as a resource person, after my release from the Ahmadabad Central Prison. They told me that I might write a book about my educational achievements in prison so that prisoners, students, and individuals eager to achieve success and achievement in life get motivated and inspired.

Eight years have passed since then because of my full-time job and I was very busy and occupied with completing more and more educational courses at full speed. Right now I’m retired and the pandemic corona lockdown is on. It provided me a great opportunity to write this book with peace. Now following the advice of my well-wishers, I decided to write a book and started to write. After my release from prison in December 2011, I was serving Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University with my full time as a consultant, I continued to study and achieved another 23 educational achievements taking the total tally of my educational achievements to 54 in just 12 years.

Secondly, many individuals who came in contact with me became aware of the fact of my educational achievements rejoined the study in life, and those who were studying, have joined other courses with their ongoing study. Seeing so much curiosity and enthusiasm of the people in studying, I was compelled to write this book so that more and more people would know about my achievement.’

The main purpose of writing this book and putting it before my readers is to inspire, motivate, enthused, and verve to them through this book to achieve and accomplish their goals, aims, and targets even in any adverse and difficult time, situations and circumstances. The desire to be the beacon is the abstract of this book.

Difficulties often prepare the ordinary man for extraordinary achievement. - C. S. Louis

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Writing is not connected to my education or profession in any way. Therefore, when I decided to write this book I felt the turmoil in my mind. But, I realized that writing about what has happened, experienced, and lived by me was not difficult. I have received advice and guidance from my friends, acquaintances, and organizations in writing this book. I heartily thank the then Addition Director General of Police (prisons), Gujarat (ADGP), Honorable Shri P. C. Thakur, and then Director of the Lifelong Learning Department of Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, Dr. Sandhyaben Thaker for inspiring me to write this book. My sincere thanks to the poetess and professor of Gujarati at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University, Dr. Hetal Gandhi for her wholehearted support and motivation for writing this book.

In preparation of the background of the subject of this book, I thank the then Superintendent of Sabarmati Central Jail Shri R. J. Pargi and Deputy Superintendent Shri H. B. Bhabhor, the then Ahmedabad Regional Director of Indira Gandhi National Open University Dr. S. Mohapatra, Deputy Director Dr. Avaniben Trivedi, the then Vice-Chancellor of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University Shri Dr. Manoj Soni, and in charge registrar Mr. Piyushbhai Shah, Brahmakumari Nandiniben and Brahmakumari Jayashriban of Prajapita Brahmakumari Ishwariya Vishwavidyalaya.

My sincere thanks to persons, friends, family members, and everyone who happened, knowingly or unknowingly, to be a part of occasions or events that took place in my life and helped to make this