Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the art and science of yoga needs to be passed on from cities to villages so that poor people could also be benefitted with the ancient system of being healthy without spending much on medicines for their health. While addressing about 40,000 people at Prabhat Tara Ground in Ranchi on Friday on the fifth edition of international Yoga Day the PM emphasised on importance of yoga in day-to-day life of an individual in keeping healthy and peaceful body and mind.
Modi said, “I wanted to take yoga an integral part of the lives of the poor. Yoga is a preventive measure to keep an individual healthy. Diseases make a poor person poorer. I want to take yoga from cities to villages, to the jungles to the poor and the Adivasi (tribals), so that they learn the art of remaining healthy at the same time cutting their expenses on medicines.”
The PM said that despite yoga being an ancient art of exercise gifted to the World by India has still to reach to villages, asking the people to make yoga a motto for peace, harmony and progress.
Jharkhand’s Capital Ranchi this year was selected from five cities to host the mega event. The Prime Minister on this occasion also shared his emotional attachment with Ranchi at the same time revealing why Ranchi’s was chosen for such a mega event.
He said, “Though I am emotionally attached with Ranchi, but there are three other reasons behind Ranchi was chosen for Yoga Day function. Firstly, the State is rich with flora and fauna and Yoga is directly linked with nature. Secondly, World’s biggest health care Ayushman Yojana was launched from Ranchi on September 23 last year coinciding with birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. Yoga plays an important role in making Indians Ayushman (longevity). And the third reason is that from land of Ranchi we will make Yoga a motto in everyone’s life.” The PM said that this year Yoga Day theme is ‘Yoga for Heart’ as heart disease has become a challenge with even youngsters facing heart problems.
The PM, on the occasion, urged Rikhia Yoga Ashram (Deoghar) and Yogda Ashram (Ranchi) to include ‘Yoga for Heart’ as theme in their regular yoga training programme.
The PM said Yoga is an age old exercise practice being an integral part of Indian culture. Jhakhand’s Chau Dance has several forms of Yoga. Modi on the occasion emphasized of shifting from illness to wellness and in this endeavor Yoga can play an important role. He said, “Yoga is not done only when you are working out in open ground, mat, but Yoga is discipline, devotion and dedication and an individual has to follow the Yoga rules lifelong.”
When a section of people are opposing Yoga claiming it against a particular religion especially the Surya Namaskar, the PM said, “Yoga is above age, colour, caste, creed, religion, rich and poor. Yoga is for everyone and everyone is for Yoga.”
The PM along with Governor Droupadi Murmu, Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik and health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi and large number of government officials performed more than 13 asanas (Yoga postures) lasting for more than 45 minutes.
The PM said that large numbers of youths are turning up towards Yoga and the Union Government for promotion of Yoga has instituted awards for contribution in Yoga.
This year Prime Minister’s Awards for Outstanding Contribution for Promotion and Development of Yoga -2019 have been conferred to Swami Rajarshi Muni of Life Mission, Gujarat, Antonietta Rozzi of Italy, Bihar School of Yoga, Munger and Japan Yoga Niketan. The selection was done after considering 79 nominations received under different categories.
The Prime Minister thanks the World community for celebrating International Yoga Day. International Day of Yoga is celebrated on June 21 since its inception in 2015. An international day for Yoga was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.