Yoga guru Baba Ramdev helps Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu during a yoga session at the rehearsal for International Yoga Day at Rajpath in New Delhi. (Photo: Biplab Banerjee)
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev helps Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu during a yoga session at the rehearsal for International Yoga Day at Rajpath in New Delhi. (Photo: Biplab Banerjee)
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a yoga programme in Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex, while 57 Union ministers will fan out across India to take part in programmes on the 2nd International Yoga Day. Nor is the political significance being lost, as 10 of the Central ministers are focused in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
Of the mega event to celebrate the ancient Indian treatise, that also influenced the Yoga school of Indian philosophy — one of six orthodox schools of ancient Indian thought — Mr Modi said in a video message: “When I outlined a vision for an International Yoga Day in September 2014 at the UN General Assembly, even I did not anticipate the enormous enthusiasm from all corners of the world.”
“Yoga is much more than physical exercise... it enables us to access a new dimension of the self, providing a holistic approach to preventive healthcare and well-being.” In December 2014, the UN declared June 21 as International Day of Yoga, with support from over 190 countries, including 40 Islamic nations.
Last year, Mr Modi led 36,000 people at Delhi’s historic Rajpath in yogic exercises to mark the day that was observed across the world.
The 10 ministers lined up for UP include home minister Rajnath Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Nirmala Sitharaman and Maneka Gandhi. While Mr Singh will lead programmes comprising mass yoga events, workshops and seminars in Lucknow, finance minister Arun Jaitley will take the lead role in Mumbai.
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar will participate in Kanpur, while railway minister Suresh Prabhu will be in Vijaywada. Urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu will lead the yoga exercises in New Delhi. Minister of state for power Piyush Goyal will be in Raipur while health minister J.P. Nadda has been assigned Ahmedabad.
