In the stark silence of police lockups, where iron bars usually echo the weight of waiting and regret, a different sound is now filling the air in Khanna — soulful melodies aimed at encouraging calm, introspection and hope among detainees.In what the Khanna police describe as a first-of-its-kind initiative in Punjab, speakers have been installed outside all police lockups in the district under the initiative ‘Sound of Hope’. Secular bhajans, shabads and hymns from different spiritual traditions are played through the speakers to create a calm and reflective environment for persons in custody.Dr Darpan Ahluwalia, Senior Superintendent of Police, Khanna, who conceived the initiative, told The Tribune on Wednesday that speakers have been installed near nine lockups, including eight police stations and the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) unit, where persons accused of serious offences are often kept for interrogation.SSP Ahluwalia said, “ Policing is not only about punishment. It is also about reform and introspection. Just like there are gurdwaras and temples in jails, persons in police custody, irrespective of the allegations against them, should be treated with human dignity. Efforts need to be made to mould their minds and bring them back to the mainstream society.The playlist, according to the SSP, has been deliberately kept soft, spiritual and inclusive. Police station heads have been directed to play devotional and introspective music in Hindi and Punjabi drawn from different religious traditions.“Hymns from Gurbani, introspective bhajans and other spiritual compositions are being played. The playlist has been carefully curated to create an atmosphere of calm, reflection, and spiritual connection for those inside the lockups,” said Ahluwalia.She said the idea came to her mind during a visit to the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh, where she experienced how the sound of hymns being playing in the lifts could instantly bring a sense of calm.The thought prompted her to consider whether a similar approach could help people in police custody.”Custody may restrict a person’s freedom, but it need not take away their hope and a chance at reformation,” she said.