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The Kiran Bedi Chat

Read the transcript now!

Amrit Singh (Wed Sep 18 08:52:44 1996 IST):

Hello everyone

Madam, it is very difficult to be a government official and live with your principles. I think you stood by many tortures because of your principles. I hope you will not be a quitter.

Hello Dr. Kiran Bedi....

Good morning, Dr Bedi. Welcome to Rediff Chat. Thank you for being with us this morning. I hope you enjoy the Rediff Chat.

Ms Bedi, How do we, the educated interested young Indians in the US make a postive difference in the life of fellow Indians?

Dr. Bedi, your work with the Tihar jail inmates was quite commendable. What motivated you to work for the prisoners' cause?

Namashkar, Mrs Bedi. What are you doing now? Have you been marginalised?

Good morning, Kiranji. We Punjabis all over the world are very proud of you. Tell me, Madam, is your career in the IPS over?

Mrs Bedi....

Ms Bedi, at various positions, the Indian Civil Services is representative of rampant corruption. Do you think this can be cleansed?

Kiranji, why is there so much corruption in the Indian Police Force?

Hey, Rediff guys, what time is Dr. Bedi coming on? You all are doing a terrific job! We 'down under can really keep in touch with current happenings in India!

#9822 I agree with you

While we are waiting why don't everybody talk a bit about themselves...where you are from, what you do...how you like Rediff...

#9822 I'm a student in the US.

As this is becoming a discussion amongst the people in here, I'd like to know what all of you seriously think about the concept of Chats. Especially, these Guest ones.....

Hi folks

Shikha: I think these chats are great because .....they give you a chance to talk face to face with the people who matter

Hi! Dr Kiran Bedi is here with us now and ready to answer questions! We apologise for the delay, it was caused by a crank caller who had blocked Dr Bedi's phone line.

Is this Chat going to begin or not? Why does VSNL not liberalise the Internet access procedure? You need privatisation out there if the Net is to become popular in India.

Hello Dr. Bedi....we are glad to have this opportunity to talk with you, otherwise only a name we read and hear about...

Hullo, Dr Bedi. Is this a real Ph D or one of those degrees that the late, unlamented chief minister of my home state, MGR, used to sport!

Crank caller on Kiranji's phone? Is there no respect for the law in India?

Amrit: I haven't learnt all my life to quit but to do it anyway.

What has been the most satisfying moment of your career?

V Srinivasan : Very true. India desperately needs to improve it's infrastructure facilities to support the technology that it wishes to implement.

Brij: Not at all. I am at it for the next 11 years still to go. I retire only in 2005 AD.

When I see you on television or read what you have said, I get the impression that you are very starchy, that you take yourself extremely seriously and that you almost never ever loosen up. Why are you this way? Is it because life has not been good to you?

Good Morning Dr. Bedi. It's a great pleasure to have this opportunity to speak to you.

Hi Dr Bedi, tell me doesn't it hurt to be stopped time and time again to do the right thing by buereacrats?

Srinivasan: No, this is the real one from IIT, Delhi. The thesis was on drug abuse and domestic violence. It taught me book writing, which I am presently on.

Hi Dr Bedi, are you by any chance related to Pooja Bedi?

Hullo, Mrs Bedi. It is an honour to be speaking with one of the greatest Indians of my time. What has been for you the moment of truth in your life, the hour of reckoning so to speak?

Brij: Anonimity is sometimes misused.

Tell us the truth: Why were you shifted from Tihar? Who was responsible for the HT reports?

Dr Bedi, your work with and for the Tihar jail inmates was very commendable. What motivated you to work for the prisoners' cause? Do you feel you've done enough? Are the effects of your work still being felt or have they been nullified by the new authorities?

Shobraj: No, on the contrary, you get fresh opportunities to do new things every time. Hurt is a personal choice.

Kiranji, thank you for answering my questions. Between now and 2005, which is nine years away, what do you see yourself doing? Just the same old job. Pushing files. Why don't you quit the IPS and join politics?

Iti: Life has been very organised for me. And I do the right thing at the right time and don't mix up priorities. And I enjoy everything I do.

Dr Bedi, Could you tell us more about Charles Shobraj, what kind of person he is .....and most importantly can someone like him be rehabilitated?

It's good to know that the Ph D is genuine. Why is there so much corruption in Indian society?

And have you ever been offered a bribe? When did that happen?

Hey Dr Bedi I asked a question here.

Srinivasan: There is no moment which I don't enjoy. In fact, there is no one moment which has been most satisfying. It has been a whole life so far well lived.

You are one of the ideals for the youth in India today, especially the women. How do you feel about this? Who is your ideal amongst the women, you look up to??

Srinivasan, that was exactly what I was planning to ask Kiranji.

Do you ever feel that it's been a burden being a woman?

Bhak: No I am not.

Guess Then I'll leave, Its been great talking to you.

Soumya: The moment of truth is when you see a nearby departing from life. And the moment of reckoning is every minute of the fleeting moment.

What a relief! Imagine being related to Kabir (Octopussy is going to do for my career what Lawrence of Arabia did for Omar Sharif!!!!!) Bedi and his Bugs Bunny-toothed daughter!

I guess you are tired of answering questions about your work at Tihar :-(
Anyway, so tell us about you, Kiran Bedi, the person. Not the Dr. Bedi, not the IPS officer Bedi!

Iti: A vested interest comprising of a group of people from bureaucracy, political world and the media. And one or two individuals from my prison staff itself.

Dr Bedi: Please translate into ENGLISH!

Shikha: I feel responsible in sharing my experience. And therefore, do take upon a lot of interactive commitments. I have no one ideal person. I have individuals from whom I draw inspiration.

Mrs Bedi: Who are these people? Are they still around? Why did they have a grudge against you? Do you think the media is too easily manipulated by the powers that be?

Srinivasan: Yes. In the early stages of my career when reputation was still to get known.

Have you never done anything wrong in your life? What about the Mizoram episode?

Dr Bedi: you haven't answered my question

What were the feelings you experienced as an indiviual when you became the first woman police officer in the IPS??

Can we have some light responses, Dr. Bedi? From the lighter side of you! This conversation is getting to be very serious!

You must admire my perseverance - since you haven't answered even one of my questions :-(

Mam, Ur Safal Ad Was Great !!

Dr Bedi, sometimes we find that the crimes committed against the criminals is worse than than the crimes committed by the criminals themselves(eg. lock-up deaths). Why isn't something done about this?

Shobraj: He was found to be very organised in his day to day living in the prison. He kept himself fully informed through radio and the books. Yes, he can be rehabilitated but with very special strategies addressed to his mind.

Archana: A lot has been done in opening up the systems which could hide their crimes.

Dr Bedi: you say that he can be rehabilitated , does it mean that those speacial strategies are not being implemented???

Dr. Bedi - are you avoiding my questions because I don't have a name? Well, the # was a joke - my real name is Nathan Miles and I'm from Australia. Hope you respond to me now!

Kiran, In the late 80s, when Tihar was still a primitive facility, what was your stock approach to confront and assuage notorious convicts ?

90210: Here goes! Kiran Bedi is a light eater and no gossiper. Good at playing tennis and would allow anyone to win if it was not a championship.

Dr. Bedi, tell us about any one memorable incident that occurred in the Tihar jail when you were there. Something that deeply touched you, either in a sad or happy way??

Your book was very boring. Please get yourself a ghostwriter the next time you write a book. You deserve aa better memoir than I Dare!

Reformed: My approach, even as a police officer, has always been corrective.

Ardeshir: Sorry, it was a biography and without the tittilating personal stories.

Shobraj: Yes, because the treatment is yet not individualised there.

hello......kool chaahat going on here it seems.......Dr. Bedi...allow me to introduce myself....Neil Patel....i'm a 17 year old college student in america who has been to india only 2 times in his life......i'm studying biology and philosophy at Rice University in Houston, TX

How did you find Bill Clinton as a person? Do you think he will be re-elected? Should he be? (Just trying to get your views on the international political scene).

Madam. I just told you what I felt. It was not personal titillation that I was looking for. I was just interested in a decently written biography.

Ms Bedi, what would you call the most trying period of your career?

............

Ms Bedi: so that means when Charles comes out of jail he will go back to his own tricks....so do you think that our reforming system is useless and defunct? Why is something not bieng done about it?

.

Srinivasan: Yes, I have done wrongs in my life and learnt my lessons soon enough. On the Mizoram episode, everything was strictly within the written rules and that's why the Mizoram state was not even heard by the Supreme Court. Anything that stands the test of time has to be principally right. If you want to know more details about it read the book I Dare. It has everything in there.

Will an MP ever pay his traffic ticket, just like a citizen? What are the chances of 'Hindustani'(Cinema) making a national correction?

Hullo, Ms Bedi. If Prime Minister Deve Gowda asks you to list five of India's worst problems and how to solve them, how will you go about it?

Hi, Gujju Mafia!

God Father of the GujuMafia: What browser are you using? Your handle is all a mess and it's messing up the page!

Dr. Bedi, tell us about any one memorable incident that occurred in the Tihar jail when you were there. Something that deeply touched you, either in a sad or happy way??

Mrs Bedi, Hi. I have just been looking at the transcript so far. Very boring stuff.

M & S: My answer to this question will take up all your time on the internet. But I can give you one brief answer - I look for the right leader. I look for 100 leaders across the country. Once you have leaders, problems will get identified and sorted out. That is the first step.

Why a special hi for Guju Mafia? We have have been asking questions for the last one hour and haven't got any responses! And a Hi for Guju Mafia? VERY DISAPPOINTED!

Ms Bedi ...are you always seriuos? Can you show us your lighter side.

Babloo: Why don't you ask some interesting questions and make the conversation interesting for me too?

Thank you, Ms Bedi.

Ms Bedi, you talk about 100, can you name one leader who is 'right'?

Sure. What has done most harm to your career? Your arrogance, your holier-than-thou spirit, your integrity?

A special Hi to each one of you who are on this Chat with me! I believe in no discrimination. :-)

Babloo: None of them. Can you think of any more ideas?

Someone asked sometime back: Why don't you quit the IPS and join politics? If you must make a difference, you nmeed to break through the confines of the civil service.

49 years after independence, what would you point as the strengths of the Indian Civil Services. What do you say of the corruption that prevails. Can this be cleansed?

Hey Babloo, ease up on the poor lady! She's alright!

Dr. Bedi, just because a few people are bored you are turning frivilous and not really answering any questions.

Shikha: There were plenty. Just pick up the book and read it if you can spare some time.

Hi Dr Bedi. How are you? I'm from Singapore.

Hullo, Kiran. I am a housewife from California. I just want to know when will Indian change enough for me to bring my children back home. here, far away from home, I imbue my kids with Indian values. But when they are back home, all the good work I have done comes undone. Please comment.

M & S: For me, politics is supreme national service. I must be in it only when I am willing to surrender entirely.

How many honest civil servants (from the IAS, IPS) have you come across in the last five years of your career? Or have they all been compromised?

Bye Dr. Bedi, it was nice :-). Hope to meet you sometime!

Thanks. But would you agree that you have been marginalised. Are you so keen on ending up as India's first woman DGP? Would that be a fitting climax to your career?

Anita: We can only hope for the best! But teach your children the reality of India. There is no place which is perfect. Your children will then learn to discern and appreciate their own country as well despite its drawbacks.

Ms Bedi: What are your plans for the next 9 years?

M & S: I have come across many who are honest and professionally sound. And it is because of them that the country is still moving forward. And this includes even the Parliament.

Thank you. But I am afraid that does not answer my dilemma. The India that wee here is a primitive society with none of the redeeming values that I was taught in my childhood in India. It is up to people like you and Medha Patkar to act as beacons for a new India. Can you do that? When you retire in 2005, you will be too old!

MONICA : Hello mam can't believe talking to someone so famous.donno what to say. U r my ideal i wanted to know who is your ideal?

Iti: There are a lot of intelligent people who are willing to get into the national mainstream but who are not members of political parties. And they also do not fit into the present pattern of politics.

Thank you, Mrs Bedi. It was nice speaking with you. We would have expected more candour.

Ms Bedi: Why is there a stigma attached to the lawmen ......for a common man they are symbols of fear and unapproachable, why have you people cultivated such an image? Aren't you people supposed to be people friendly

Monica: My ideal is not a person but a concept which talks of constant development and betterment in quality of life, not just quality of living.

Mrs Bedi, sorry we are late. Great to speak with you. Honoured to talk to one of India's greatest people. Glod bless you for all you have done for India. No honour is less for you. We despair of our motherland. can you tell us if there is reason to hope and why?

Anita: Don't worry! I'll keep myself fit till then.

So you do want to end up as India';s first woman DGP. Is that not a small denouement to a career for someone like you? So no public life till retirement? Is that it?

Dr.Bedi Thaz great.what do u see indian women in 21st century as?

Ms Bedi: are you planning a career in politics? If you do join politics which party will you join?

Very disappointing. Folks, why is that the Indians we admire do now want to enter politics and change our society. I do not wish to bring my kids back home. It is better they grow up here in the US.

Anita: Don't worry! I'll keep myself fit till then.

Good night, Ms Bedi. One more illusion broken. One more idol cast away in the darkness of our time.

Ms. Kiran Bedi, How did u feel when you received the Magsaysy award? It must have surely served as an inspiration?

Ms Bedi aap ne mera ek bhi prashna ka uttar nahin diya:-(

Hi Kiran What are your unfinished goals?

Dr. Bedi is it that you are unable to put your thoughts into words or are you always as inarticulate?? your responses are so general to all our specific questions.

Datta: Replace your despair if you can by positively doing something for your country without doing anything in return. IF each one of you who is abroad does it for your country, you will see the difference it shall make in the next few years. Well-off Indians living abroad can help in adopting and working in thousands of Indian villages on programmes of education, health care, women's training, vocational training, environment preservation, water management, child care and so many other things according to one's own interest areas. Indians abroad have to offer to their country selfless service. Remember, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country. This is exactly what many of us are doing, living in India.

Hi ms. kiran bedi after a powerfull and popular tenure as the DGP of the Tihar jail how did you feel when the heat turned on you with the Charles Shobraj case was exaggerated and publisised by the Media and was your transfer a direct effect of that??

Kiran Bedi: What will you do if you see Saddam Hussein? Do you believe that he is a convict?

Ms. Bedi, Not all women of the country are very confident about themsleves and as we see the present corrupt and politically motivated scenario what is ur advice to the Indian women, should they join IPS 'cause not everybody is Kiran Bedi to withstand tides!

Ms Bedi, your idealism all well, but may I draw your attention to a previous question: what are the strengths of the Indian Civil Services. What do you say of the corruption that ails it. How can it be cleansed?

Ananmika: Yes, it did provide a recognition to new concepts and practices of policing. So it helped remove cynicism in certain quarters and get even wider acceptance.

Dr Bedi If u were given a chance to solve kashmir problem all by yourself what steps would u take?

Dr. Bedi. what do you think about this whole process of a Chat on the Internet?? This opportunity for indiviuals to speak to distinguished people??

Ms. Bedi, u did not answer my qustion of women joining the services?

REformed: He is a patriot for his own country and, perhaps, for himself. Patriotism is a relative concept.

Ms. Kiran Bedi, do you have an affiliate of Navjyothi in California? Secondly, may we know of your present occupation.

Anamika: Each one, man or woman, should join a service of their onw personality orientation if they have a choice to do so. This would reduce the misfits and improve performance and quality of services.

Ms.Bedi, In UP the IAS officers association has undertaken an important task of identifying the most corrupt officers? What do u think of this type of polling, should something like this be their for the police depts. throughout the country?

Well Dr Bedi nice to meet you.I wish i had more time to listen to your views.Wish u good luck in all walks of life.JAIHIND

Reformed: No, I don't have an affiliate of Navjyoti in California yet. Presently I am writing a book on prison work which we did from 1993-95. This is the story of reformation of the largest prison population in Asia and the Pacific. Through this, a new management of prison reforms evolved called the three Cs model. That is, corrective, collective and community-based prison management. It was corrective, it was collective because it was fully participative management involving the staff, the prisoners as a community within and the community from outside. The whole process of this evolution is being told in a first hand account through this book which I am personally writing at the moment. Incidentally, I would welcome an offer for the publishing of this book outside India as well so that this is more freely available to readers outside the country.

Ms Bedi: What are your future plans?

Ms Bedi: After you won the Magsay award what was the party with your prisoners like?

Ms.Bedi, please answer my question on the UP IAS officers polling on the most corrupt official, do you think such type of procdures would help to cleanse the system and the oficers becomoimg more responsible?

Jailbird: Are many. Long term and short term. Besides the police profession, I am committed to community service work through two non-government agencies namely NAvjyoti and India Vision Foundation. To carry out programmes in the field of drug abuse prevention, empowerment of women, prison reforms, programmes for crime affected children and sports promotion. I'm into this kind of work for the last 10 years. I'm working towards raising resources to make some of these programmes permanent. It would take my whole lifetime to do that.

Anamika: Yes, these would. The UP association certainly took a very bold stand. Such like stands are rare for police associations. In fact, they hardly ever meet.

Jailbird: It was full of music and joy.

Hi! How are you, It is good to know that you are on the rediff. I hope that everything at your end is fine. I work in the computer lab here and my best pass time is to look for new things on the computer. Everything seems to be going just fine for me, except my sleep. Hope to hear from you soon. Say, my hello to Sukriti and please wish her happy birthday from my side. I will call.

Hi! How are you, It is good to know that you are on the rediff. I hope that everything at your end is fine. I work in the computer lab here and my best pass time is to look for new things on the computer. Everything seems to be going just fine for me, except my sleep. Hope to hear from you soon. Say, my hello to Sukriti and please wish her happy birthday from my side. I will call.

How has all this affected your family life?

Hi! How are you, It is good to know that you are on the rediff. I hope that everything at your end is fine. I work in the computer lab here and my best pass time is to look for new things on the computer. Everything seems to be going just fine for me, except my sleep. Hope to hear from you soon. Say, my hello to Sukriti and please wish her happy birthday from my side. I will call.

Dr. Kiran, I like your 3 C model. I believe you have visited a jail in U.S. In crude terms, I would say your model is practised in the California prisons. Many of the book publishers of U.S. have offices in many countries, if not India, Singapore. Your future book will have an audience in U.S., because of the volume of crimes, including juvenile. Besides, you have a Mag. award to find a publisher.

Ms. Bedi, were u always very litrary, i mean now that u have started writing books ?

Ms Bedi: please tell us your favourite joke?

Vinayak: Hi! How are you? Sukriti is away to college and attending all her classes regularly. She is very happy with this sense of totality. She has kept herself informed of your welfare from your mother. She told me you are into the tennis team and is happy about your progress. Thanks for joining in. I'll tell Sukriti about our chat and convey your birthday greetings to her. You keep doing well!!! I'm planning to get an Internet connection shortly for Sukriti so please send in your e-mail address. I send you ours as soon as we get it. Meanwhile you can inform us through Rediff.

Visitor: It taught us value for extended family concept.

Ms. Bedi, Hi, the chat seem to be going well, did u like this concept of online chat?

Vinayak are you the same Vinayak Khera who got my sister pregnant and left her wioth the baby I have been searching for you for the last 1 year from what i heard you left India so I could not get hold of you now that I have your E-mail address I am gonnja get ya for sure you SOB ...for all the pain that you gave my sister........

How do u handle such difficult situations, the several allegations made on u and still manage to come throu it?

Jailbird: Sukhrams and Chandraswamis and Kalpnath Rais!

Thank you for replying so quickly, Once again it was nice to hear from you

Ms. Bedi : what are your opinions about the no. of scams that are coming to light so very often these days in India? Are you surprised at all?

Jailbird: Sukhrams and Chandraswamis and Kalpnath Rais!

VINAYAK the only thing was that I was out of India in Singapore for the last 9 months for bussiness andnI heard you came here wish I was here

`One more illusion broken. One more idol cast away into the darkness' - My feelings expressed in the saying that earlier appeared right here.

Mr. Susu kumar Well I was in India for the last eight months but probably you were too busy with yourself at that time. Now that you know my address please do send mail and let me know about yourself and your sister, whoever she is.....

Mo: No, I'm not surprised. The cancer of corruption is now full blown and it has to burst.

Aunty I am sorry for this, actually it is one of my dumb friends who is trying to play a dumb prank. Anyways following is my e-mail address, but in time I will send it again. kherav@db.erau.edu everything in this is small letters.

Ok vinayak I did not mean to play this on you but hey you never leave a good idea to go waste so sorry once again by the way i am leaving now see ya after sometime.......

Ms. Bedi could you tell us all about Navjyoti? Why u started it and what are the kinds of things you(Navjyoti) are doing now?

Sukumar: I thought we were in the company of balanced individuals who were interacting to share matured conversation. You're welcome only for that.

Sunil: When you learn to live in the present, you continue to progress.

Thank you, all, for sharing your time with me. Jai Hind!

whoa that was helpful! looks like Ms. Bedi was in a hurry...

Thank you, Dr Bedi, for your time, your good cheer. I do hope you enjoyed the experience and we look forward to having you on the Rediff Chat soon. Good afternoon.

whoa that was helpful!. Looks like Ms.Bedi is in a hurry...

Thank you, Nikhil. What destiny it was to meet your colleague at St Xaviers due to which this happened.

Hey guys lets all go to the Small Smoke Filled CAFE