Travelling for over two hours post-midnight and walking their way out through the endless rows of police barricades, erected around the Forest Research Institute grounds for the yoga event, failed to dampen the spirit of the participants from Haridwar and also some neighbouring States.
They had reached Dehradun at around 3 am and they were made to walk through Ballupur Chowk, Balliwala Chowk and Vasant Vihar to reach the front gate of FRI. However, enthusiasm was writ large on every face. The green carpet with orange mats and yoga enthusiasts sitting over them sporting white T shirts made a perfect resemblance to the Indian tri- colour on the sprawling lawns of the imposing FRI.
Speaking to The Pioneer, a sports enthusiast from Haridwar Meena Bisht said, “I did not sleep a wink as I was crazy to see PM Modi even from a distance. I am feeling no fatigue. The scorching sun has ceased to trouble me as the Yoga has cooled me from within.”
left mesmerised with the speech of Modi, a middle- aged woman Kumkum Bhatia of Jwalapur Haridwar shared with The Pioneer, “I like the way our PM gives facts and figures in his speech. We have been appalled to learn that 18 million people die of heart- related diseases while 1.6 million lose fight against diabetes. Yoga can go a long way to reduce stress which in turn would reduce the number of diseases. I am really thrilled.”
Even hours after Narendra Modi had left, the area outside the yoga site was crowded with people who had come from far- off districts of Uttar Pradesh to voice their concerns. Some individuals also got an opportunity to spread their message and draw the PM’s attention on the skewing ratio of girls in the country and the overpopulation problem. Holding placards of messages reading “Every minute 1740 children are born in India and 41760 every day”, these men wanted to voice their concern to the Prime Minister of India. Mahesh Kumar from Meerut said he specially came to give this message to Modi.
However, it was a tough time for the officials and workers of municipal corporation to clear the plastic water bottles and other wastes left by thousands of yoga participants on the green carpets in the FRI lawns. They were seen picking the wastes and putting them in bins. The mobile toilets brought from 13 districts and placed along the paths of FRI were stinking in the morning, which prompted one to say “Modi ka Swach Bharat Abhiyan dekh lo.”