Yoga is India's soft power, says Prakash Javadekar

DEHRADUN: Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today performed yoga asanas with more than a thousand participants at a mega event organised here as part of International Yoga Day celebrations.

Javadekar inaugurated the yoga session at 7 am at the Forest Research Institute premises here along with IFS probationers, officers and faculty members and followed it up with another programme held by Patanjali Yogpeeth at the Rangers Ground where he was accompanied by state BJP chief Tirath Rawat and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Ajay Bhatt.

In his brief speech, Javadekar appealed to people to embrace yoga and make it a part of their daily routine to achieve physical and mental well being.

Showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he had done for the promotion of yoga internationally, he said, "The Prime Minister has made two billion Indians proud today by bringing yoga on to the global platform. This is India's soft power."

Later speaking to PTI over the phone, Javadekar said. "Our body is a gift of nature to us. We must preserve it. Yoga is now accepted the world over as a scientific way to health. One can walk, swim, jog, run and do yoga 'asanas' or mixture of it.... One must take care of his/her body by performing physical activities for at least 60 minutes.

"Prime Minister Modi has done wonders for the country by making the world accept Yoga. More than 170 countries supported. Today two billion people are participating and it is a moment of pride for India," he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Harish Rawat inaugurated a state-level workshop on yoga at the Parade Ground and unveiled the state government's elaborate plans for promotion of yoga. He also performed a couple of light asanas to mark the event.

Rawat said though yoga has been a part of the Indian lifestyle for thousands of years it has got formal acceptance globally today in the form of International yoga day.

Describing Uttarakhand as the land of yoga's origins, he said there are more than 20,000 people trained in the ancient discipline whose employment is a matter of concern.

"This is the reason why we are the only state to have come up with an elaborate action plan for the promotion of yoga on the occasion," he said.

Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul also participated in an hour-long programme on yoga at the Raj Bhawan.

Haridwar-based spiritual organisations like Patanjali Yogpeeth, Paramarth Niketan and Gayatri Parivar held programmes at their different campuses to mark the occasion.

People from different sections of society came together to participate in various yoga programmes held across the state to mark the occasion.