Under fire from Opposition BJP for not being serious enough on Yoga, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat, replied with a slew of announcements for promotion of Yoga on the International Yoga Day on Sunday. Speaking at a State level Yoga workshop at Pavilion Ground Rawat announced the setting up of a State level Yoga and Ayush Council. Ironically when the entire nation as well as foreign countries celeberated the day from 6.30 to 7.30 am the Uttarakhand Government celebrated it from 8.45 am to 9.30 am.
He said that Infrastructure development commissioner would head the council which would oversee the implementation of the programe. The Principal Secretary To CM, Medical, health, family welfare and Ayush Om Prakash, the Principal Secretary Revenue, PS Finance and PS tourism would be the members of the committee.
Declaring the working plan for dissemination of Yoga and natural medical therapy and employment generation in the state, the CM asserted that Yoga was integral part of our life style since ancient times. Yoga has been formally recognized by the global community through the declaration of International Yoga Day.The CM said that Uttarakhand is probably the birth place of Yoga and there are more than 20000 trained Yoga instructors in the state. He said that an hour long Yoga session would start in all the Ayurvedic hospitals of the state and Yoga trainers would be employed in them on contract.
The CM asked Municipal Corporation, councils and Nagar Panchayats to earmark a park for Yoga exercises. Part time Yoga trainers would also be posted in these Yoga parks. He also announced that Yoga and naturopathy would be taught in the schools of the state as optional subjects. Rawat said that a Yoga and Naturopathy faculty would be setup in the Uttarakhand Ayurveda University.
In an ambitious attempt to link Yoga with tourism, the CM unveiled 'Yoga Gram' concept where special Yoga sessions would be held for tourists. The government has identified twelve places located in picturesque locations for the purpose. The Yoga Grams would be built at Gairsain and Gwaldam in Chamoli district, Hanol and Dev van in Dehradun, Surnol and Harshil in Uttarkashi, Munsyari and Chakodi in Pithoragarh, Mayawati in Champawat, Jageshwar in Almora, Madannegi in Tehri and Khirsu in Pauri district. Rawat also said that a Yoga Kumbh festival would be organised during the forthcoming Ardh Kumbh in Haridwar.
To make entrepreneurs out of trained Yoga graduates the state government would also promote 'Wellness Tourism' in state and for it additional grant would be given to unemployed Yoga graduates under Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali self employment scheme.Speaking on the occasion the state health Minister Surendra Singh Negi said that life is made stress free and healthy by practice of Yoga. He called upon the people to shun the consumption of tobacco.
The CM and Health Minister participated in the Yoga sessions on the occasion. Dilraj Preet Kaur of Dev Sanskriti University drew applause from the audience when she performed breathtaking Yoga postures. An impressed CM instantly appointed her as brand logo of the proposed Yoga council. The programme was attended by PS Om Prakash, Secretary Vinod Sharma, DGP B S Siddhu and VC of Dev Sanskriti University SN Mishra. large numbers of students belonging to National Cadet Corps (NCC),local police and ITBP personnel also participated in the Yoga session on the occasion.