BJP leaders to display yoga skills

Patna: All big shots in the BJP will showcase their yoga skills during International Yoga Day celebrations in the city on Thursday.

Governor Satya Pal Malik will inaugurate the event in the morning while deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi will be the chief guest. Modi, Union minister of law and justice and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad and state health minister Mangal Pandey will showcase their yoga skills at the global campaign to disseminate yoga as a national heritage since its inception in 2015. Chief minister Nitish Kumar and JDU ministers are, however, likely to skip the event.

Over 3,000 people consisting of students, sportspersons, government officials, teachers and NCC cadets will do yoga at Patliputra Sports Complex in Kankerbagh, said Ashish Kumar Sinha, director-cum-secretary of the Sports Authority of Bihar, the nodal agency to organise the event. “For the first time, the department of culture is organising yoga in Patna on such a grand scale,” Ashish said.

Vanijya Mahavidya of Patna University has started a three-day yoga training workshop beginning Tuesday to encourage students to adopt yoga in their lives.

Ram Subhag Singh, in-charge of yoga training in the college, said: “Our objective is to spread awareness about the ancient heritage of our country. Not only is it taking us closer to our culture, but also helping people overcome diseases and stress that are a result of urban lifestyle.”

“Our college is planning to launch a certificate course for our graduate and post graduate students so that they are trained in yoga during their college education and nourish their lives thereafter,” said Vanijya Mahavidyalaya principal B.N. Pandey. “It will be started from the next academic session in 2019 on the governor’s approval.”

On Wednesday evening, the deputy chief minister, accompanied culture minister Krishna Kumar Rishi, called on officials to review arrangements made to host the event. The officials, however, briefed him about the arrangements ranging from water availability, medical facilities and security arrangements during the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to roll out his yoga mat amid over 55,000 others in Dehradun. Celebrations will also be held in over 150 countries on the occasion.

The prime minister had zealously pitched for observing June 21, the longest day in the northern hemisphere, as International Yoga Day. While proposing it at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014, he described yoga as an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. “It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day,” he had said.

Courtesy: The Telegraph