Stating that yoga is a way to check greed, violence and healthcare costs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cautioned against “commodifying” yoga, saying commercialisation will do great damage to this world heritage.
“If we make yoga a commodity, then maximum damage to it will be done by us. Yoga is not a commodity, yoga is not a brand which has to be sold,” Modi said after inaugurating the first international conference on yoga for holistic health in the capital.
Drawing attention to hoards of “pure ghee” shops in the market, Modi said that 50 years back these were never seen but today they are prevalent because it generates money. “This should never happen to yoga. This is not a trade or organisation but a state of mind (vyapaar ya vyavastha nahin avastha hai).
Noting that changes are also going to come in yoga with the passage of time, he said that it has to be made more modern, more scientific adapting to different conditions in different regions.
Without naming the Congress which has accused the Government for “usurping” the traditional form, Modi stressed that yoga is “not the brainchild of the Government” or the United Nations but a gift from generations and said that he is “indebted” to all the Governments and all the countries across the world. Modi said that though yoga originated in India, it is a collective gift to humanity.
The Prime Minister had mooted the proposal to celebrate International Yoga Day (IYD) during his first address to the UN General Assembly in September last year. He quoted profusely from scriptures, including Bhagvad Gita, saying India promises to reach out to all to foster a culture of inclusiveness and that of making one global family in which all are happy and disease-free (sarve bhavantu sukhin, sarve bhavantu niramaya).
Yoga can lead to a reduction in health care costs, Modi said adding that it is not a system but a state of being. “It is a philosophy and not just a set of exercises.” There is ample evidence that practicing yoga helps combat stress,” he said, and added that yoga also helps in full development of mental powers. “It can increase power of innovation, technology and knowledge and upgrade the quality of life.” The Prime Minister also released a `5 rupee stamp and coins of `10 and `100 on IYD brought out by the Postal Department and the Finance Ministry.