UN Yoga Day result of Indian diplomatic efforts: Sushma Swaraj

The adoption of June 21 as the International Yoga Day by the United Nations signifies the support that recent diplomatic endeavours of the government have evoked on the world stage, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Monday.

"In the history of the United Nations, this is the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any resolution of this nature," Sushma Swaraj said in a suo motu statement on the issue in the lok Sabha.

The United Nations last week adopted June 21 as the International Yoga Day. The proposal was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Sushma Swaraj said: "While on one hand, we consistently advocate a proactive and innovative approach for making India and the greater South Asian region more prosperous, at the same time, we are thinking and acting on new measures to project India's soft power- the unparalleled cultural richness, diversity and uniqueness of India and its people".

She said an unprecedented 177 out of the total 193 member states of the United Nations co-sponsored a resolution on International Yoga Day. "The sheer number of supporters as well as the smooth adoption also symbolizes the strong international support that the recent diplomatic endeavours of our government have evoked on the world stage," she added.

"I would term these as a critical part of a new India's breakthrough diplomacy. From Make in India to Swachh Bharat and now International Yoga Day they are all small steps in our journey to ensure a vibrant, happy and prosperous India, whose imprint and influence are felt far beyond our own shores," the external affairs minister said.

Prior to this, United Nations, in 2007, had adopted India's resolution to observe Oct 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi as the International Day of Non-Violence.