N-E states defy Church to celebrate Yoga Day

Guwahati: Defying the call of churches and some influential youth organisations, thousands of school children and people from all walks of life participated the yoga camps across the Northeastern states, including Mizoram.

Though the churches, the central Committee of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) and the student organisations of Mizoram refrained from participating in the International Yoga Day, hundreds of yoga enthusiasts joined yoga practice session at the Assam Rifles ground Aizwal where Mizoram Governor Lt. General (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma  also inaugurated the “Healthy Mizoram Campaign” on Wednesday and joined in for yoga.

The YMA said that yoga was not compatible with the social and religious practices of the Mizos and should not be propagated. Meanwhile, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who himself participated in the yoga camps in Guwahati and Nalbari, said that his government would extend facilities for yoga to all school children, panchayat offices, tea gardens and interior char areas. “We intend to do this as yoga is an integral part for maintaining good health,” the chief minister said.

Assam health and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the state government had decided to set up 100 block-level yoga training centres with the help of Patanjali Yoga Kendra. In Arunachal Pradesh, the main function was held at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Naharlagun in Itanagar by the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in which more than 1,000 people participated.

Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy encouraged people in Nagaland to practice yoga in their daily lives. Participating in the International Yoga Day at Agri Expo Site, Dimapur, Mr Rudy said, “Yoga is a skill of looking good, smart and intelligent” and that regular practice of yoga enhanced fitness of mind and body.” In Tripura, union ministers Faggan Singh Kulaste and Babul Supriyo participated at yoga camps.

The main programme was organised at Umakanta stadium at Agartala, where over 10,000 school students, sports persons, personnel of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and BSF participated. More than 50,000 students joined yoga camps in different part of Tripura.