Jharkhand in all possibilities will not be able to celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21 this year despite PM Narendra Modi’s call to make it a big occasion.
Following the directions of the PM, Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) is directing various State Governments to prepare State-level programmes on this occasion.
However, no such notification has been received at the Directorate of AYUSH situated at Doranda in Ranchi. “There are least of chances of getting the instruction as there is no network for yoga in our State. It is included for namesake in our department,” AYUSH Director Dr Abdul N Azad said.
According to sources, the registration of yoga practitioners under Jharkhand State AYUSH Medical Council is vacant since the establishment of the AYUSH in Jharkhand.
“It takes around one year to begin a new programme. In such circumstances, it is not possible to introduce programmes for Yoga for the upcoming International Yoga Day,” sources said.
“We often come across international and national yoga tournaments being organised across the State wherein yoga experts from abroad are invited. It is shocking that organisers of such events are successfully hosting without the registration of AYUSH,” an officer pointed out.
The condition of AYUSH in the State seems to be pathetic as the number of vacant posts is comparatively double than the appointed ones in most of the fields like Ayurveda, Homoeopathy and Unani. No employees are recruited for Siddha and Naturopathy.
Out of the 301 sanctioned posts for Ayurveda in the 22 district joint hospital and State AYUSH dispensaries, 57 are working while 244 posts are vacant. Similarly, 28 persons are working out of 168 sanctioned posts in Homeopathy. In Unani, 8 persons are working out of 79 sanctioned posts.
The officer and staff crunch including teaching and non-teaching ones is almost same at AYUSH Directorate, Jharkhand State AYUSH Medical Council, Ayurvedic colleges at Chaibasa, Gumla, Sahibganj along with Homeopathy and Unani colleges in Giridih and Godda.
Sources at AYUSH Directorate said the condition is deteriorating day by day as the Government has failed to purchase the free Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Unani medicines given to the patients in the last three years.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand State Yoga Association has decided to host a State-level championship or special programmes in the State capital without government’s support. General Secretary of the Association Sanjay said a meeting related to the occasion is scheduled in the next 10 days.
Notably, PM Modi had asked National Cadet Corps (NCC) during a national meet held in New Delhi few months back, to promote yoga in the schools and colleges on this international day. Concerned NCC wing officers at Ranchi were unavailable for their comments over the plan.
Since, June 21 is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world, the PM had devoted the day for yoga.