Invitation to meet Dr Kiran Bedi

The Kiran Bedi Event Management committee, comprising several prominent Indian organisations
in London have great pleasure in inviting you, your family and friends, and your organisations to
her Charity event where you will have an opportunity to meet Dr Kiran Bedi over dinner on Friday
12th July at 6.30pm at Kadwa Patidar Hall, Kenmore Avenue, Kenton, Harrow, HA3 8LU.

Dr Kiran Bedi joined the Indian Police Service in 1972 as the first woman police officer of the
Indian Police Service. Spectators at the 1973 Republic Day Parade were amazed to see a lady at
the head of the Police Contingent. The then Prime Minister, Mrs. lndira Gandhi was so impressed
that she invited Kiran Bedi for breakfast with her the very next day. She went on to hold the post
of Director General at the Bureau of Police Research and Development. She has worked with the
United Nations in New York as the Police Advisor to the Secretary General, in the Department of
Peace Keeping Operations. She represented India in International forums on crime prevention,
drug abuse, police and prison reforms and women’s issues. She initiated:

• Prison Reforms
• Empowering Women
• Educating children of inmates
• Vocational Training

In 1993, Kiran Bedi was the Inspector General of Asia’s biggest jail – the Tihar jail (9100 inmates
including 300 women). India is probably the only country where children below the age of five are
allowed to live with their mothers, when the mother is serving a sentence in the jail. We in London
find it is horrific to know that children are brought up in a prison. It is an unthinkable option in
United Kingdom.

Dr Bedi gave the prison inmates opportunities to daily air their grievances and took action to 
address their complaints and suggestions. The result was that, within two months, the entire
atmosphere at Tihar had changed and the jail was transformed into an Ashram within six months.
Among the reforms included detoxification programs, improved nutrition and sanitation, literacy
and language classes taught by prisoners, yoga, prayer, meditation, legal advocacy by prisoners
who are lawyers, tree planting to create a “green zone” inside the prison, and the active
involvement of the outside community.

She also introduced functions like mushairas, kavi sammelans, dramas and games, which involved
the jail inmates. For her effort to humanise the Tihar jail she was honoured with the 1994 Ramon
Magsaysay Award (The Asian Nobel prize). The Tihar experiment has become a raving
success. So much so that jails around the world have taken a leaf or two out of it.

An Indian social activist, Dr Bedi is the founder of two NGOs, Navjyoti and India Vision
Foundation, which reach out to thousands of under -served children, women and men in the areas
of education, vocational skills, environment, counselling, and health care to the urban and rural
poor, including prisoners and policemen’s ‘ children. Currently her NGOs are running Community
College, registered with Indira Gandhi National Open University, to provide vocational and soft
skills to Indian youth.

At the London event, all funds raised will be used for Dr Bedi’s NGO – India Vision Foundation
under which children of imprisoned parents are supported with provision of quality education,
residential facilities, social skills, vocational training and ample opportunity, increasing their
employability and enabling their smooth transition to becoming ‘main-stream’.

Some of you may have seen Dr. Bedi on her televised programme – ‘Aap ki Kachehri’. In a recent
survey, across 16 Indian cities, conducted by the Trust Research Advisory, Dr. Bedi was ranked
the most trusted woman personality for two year in a row. The results have been published in the
Brand Trust Report India Study 2013. The studies covered categories of business, entertainment,
social/spiritual and sports among other personalities and it does not cover any personality
involved in active politics.

For information on Kiran Bedi and her charitable work, check out her website:
www.indiavisionfoundation.org

Those wishing to attend this event will have the privileged opportunity to:

– See Dr. Kiran Bedi in person,
– Listen to her Vision
– Participate in Questions and Answers session.
– Watch a documentary on her charity work in India with India Vision Foundation.
– Vegetarian Dinner provided and
– Light Entertainment

Tickets are limited and will be offered on first come first serve basis. Tickets are priced at £25. To
buy tickets or for more information please contact any of the Numbers listed below or send an email to vediccalondon@gmail.com

Mr. Mukund Jobhanputra 07971885536     Mrs. Sulochana Sethi 07956811078
Mrs. Smita Adani 07872023498     Mrs. Krishna Pujara 07931708028
Mrs. Shakti Khosla 07956182727     Mr. Pravin Shah 07899987570.