The efforts of Modi to bring international recognition to yoga are laudatory, but art is centuries-old, says speaker during Mudda
Union ministers from Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu, Uma Bharti and Ram Vilas Paswan along with PM Narendra Modi celebrated the fourth anniversary of International Yoga Day today with lakhs of people participating in it from around the world. While Modi hosted an event in Dehradun with around 50,000 volunteers, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu also hosted a similar event in Mumbai. On the occasion, Modi said that yoga unifies the world, does not break it.
Thursday’s edition of Mudda discussed the issue of politicisation of yoga. Moderated by Akshay Singh, the guests were yoga guru Bharatbhushan Bhartendu, ayurveda specialists Dr Sunit Mishra and Dr Ajay Kumar Gupta, yoga guru Vijay Kant Srivastava, yoga experts Deepak Jha and Meenal Pathak, yoga guru Acharya Atul Vyas, yoga guru Vipin Joshi and APN consulting editor Govind Pant Raju.
Vijay Kant Srivastav said: “Yoga is life. Yoga brings the necessary light in our life. Without it we won’t be able to enjoy the perks of life.”
Deepak Jha is of the opinion that if the country accepts yoga as a part of their daily life the people’s health will improve. He said: “If we practice yoga for 40 minutes daily and manage our lifestyle through it, 70-80 percent of the people won’t fall sick. They won’t need to go to a doctor. Till we are fit mentally and physically, we won’t be able to achieve success in life. I don’t see it as a political agenda or as a brand. We should applaud the efforts taken by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi in promoting yoga in the past four years… In the last 12 years, our country has got more than a thousand certified yoga teachers. Now we need to maintain the quality.”
Sunit Mishra also said that by yoga we can avoid 70 percent of the diseases. Meenal Pathak stressed the fact that it is not only India that is celebrating this day. She said: “It is being celebrated all around the world. Yoga enhances our mental, physical and spiritual well being. We are proud that this day is being recognised globally because of our efforts.” She also said that initially one should take it up under someone’s guidance.
Atul Vyas said: “I call myself a yoga scientist as I try to find the science behind yoga. I test the theories and try to find out the science behind the techniques and benefits.”
Vipin Joshi called the event organised by Modi a historic event. He added: “People have learned how to financially independent but have not been able to attain peace in life. We need yoga to de-stress us. Yoga will prove to be a turning point in your life.” Ajay Kumar Gupta too said that besides medicine, we need yoga too for our physical and mental well-being.
Raju said: “The efforts of Modi to bring international recognition to yoga are laudatory. But the practice is a centuries-old practice. There have been various programmes on various TV channels like Doordarshan which had hosted shows on asanas. But yoga was limited to the elite classes only. Modi’s efforts brought it to the common man. It has now become a brand.”
—Compiled by Usha Rani Das