As the nation prepares to observe the International Yoga Day on June 21, the Centre on Thursday made it clear that chanting “shlokas” was not “compulsory” and Muslims can take the name of Allah during the event to be held across the country and abroad.
Appealing to the Muslims to participate in the programme, Shripad Naik, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), the coordinating ministry for the mega event at Rajpath on June 21, said they can take the name of Allah instead of reciting “shlokas” at the D-day.
Naik’s statement came days after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that the participation in the event was voluntary. A grand event will be held on Rajpath in which over 35,000 people are expected to perform yoga.
The comment came after some Muslim groups like All India Muslim Personal law Board objected to the event as anti-minority. It had threatened to take the Government to the Supreme Court against inclusion of Surya Namaskar in the 30 minutes programme.
After meeting representatives of some Muslim organisations on Thursday at his office, Naik told reporters, that “We did not include Surya Namaskar to avoid controversy. And, moreover, it’s difficult to do it. But Surya Namaskar is not religious (item). We want the whole event to go smoothly.”
He added that “Shlokas are not compulsory. They can even take the name of Allah instead of chanting shlokas.
I request the Muslims to participate and unite the country.” “We did not make anything compulsory. Even the HRD Ministry has merely appealed to the educational institutions. Few parties are opposing it for the sake of politics,” Naik said.
Noting that yoga is a matter of pride and has “nothing” to do with religion, the Minister said that yoga unites people and is done for fitness.
“If people aren’t fit there won’t be any development. The protests are misleading. Muslims would be co-partners not just participants,” he said.
Muslims community seems to be divided over yoga celebrations on Yoga International Day which the Government is organising with much pomp and show back home and abroad.
If AIMPlB has objected to the holding of the event by the Government, especially inclusion of Surya Namskar, representatives of some Muslim organisations like Daudi Bohra who met Naik on Thursday said those opposing yoga were “enemies of humanity” and yoga has nothing to do with religion.
Daudi Bohra community members welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative and said the event does not have any religious connotations.
“There’s yoga in namaaz but namaaz isn’t yoga. Those who oppose it are enemies of humanity because yoga is for the well being of humans,” Maulana Syed Kaukab Mujtaba Abidi, president of Majlis Ulema e Hind (Uttar Pradesh), said talking to reporters.
BJP leader Yogi Adityanath had kicked up a row saying those opposing Surya Namaskar should “drown in the sea” which was decried by Swaraj as “unfortunate”. His remarks came after the AIMPlB threat of moving to the court against inclusion of Surya Namaskar and Yoga in schools.
Bohra said AIMPlB’s opposition was for “political gains” and that it works as per the “directions of a particular political party”.
“A section is trying to make it a political issue. The event is being wrongly interpreted. Yoga has got nothing to do with rituals. We will definitely take part in the event,” he said.
A joint statement by the delegation said that several of the postures during namaz were similar to yoga asanas. Bohra denied that the Government had fielded them as a damage control move, saying that they themselves wanted to meet Naik who is coordinating the event.
“Many Muslim countries have expressed desire to take part in the event and we would like to do the same,” he said.
The day will be observed in over 251 cities in 191 countries across the world and the Indian missions and diplomatic posts have made arrangements for the celebrations and other related events.