By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
For the first time in the history, international community at large is going to observe June 21 as International Day of Yoga. Some might say it is a mere coincidence while others say it to be meticulously chosen day that the same date corresponds to the 75th death anniversary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.
Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office, he is on a mission of creating history each day with his initiatives, programmes and schemes. One of such history he created was the resolution he proposed before the United Nations to observe June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.
BJP leader Vijay Goyal, joined by some Muslim represntatives at his home on June 19 in preparation for the World Yoga Day.
The resolution was accepted by the UN under ‘Global Health and Foreign Policy’ with 175 of the 193-members of the General Assembly joining as co-sponsors of the resolution, which is the highest number of co-sponsors for any UN resolution.
As a result, when the world would conduct mass Yoga asanas on June 21 to observe the first ‘Yoga Day’, the same day RSS would be observing 75th death anniversary of its first Sarsanghachalak (supreme leader) Hedgewar in addition to the ‘Yoga Day’.
Hedgewar, who founded the RSS in 1925 along with four other fellow Brahmins, died in Nagpur on June 21, 1940 at the age of 51. He founded the RSS with an aim to organise Hindu community for its cultural and spiritual regeneration and to make it a tool in getting the country free from foreign domination. Hedgewar insisted on the term rashtriya (national) for his exclusively Hindu organization, for he wanted to re-assert the identity of Hindu with rashtriya.
Coincidence or Thoughtful?
Specifying the reason behind him choosing June 21 for the event, Modi had indicated on September 27, 2014 during his maiden speech at United Nations that June 21, one of the two solstices, has special significance in many parts of the world, being the longest day in the northern hemisphere, and that it be considered for adoption as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly.
For those who consider June 21 to be the coincidence that it is also the death anniversary of Hedgewar must know that there can be no RSS activist in India who does not know the significance of this date as the organization every year remembers its founder on his punya tithi (death anniversary) by organizing special dedicated programmes.
Modi cannot be oblivious to the significance of this date for RSS considering the fact that he spent years in RSS before he was asked to serve in its political wing the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Therefore, it clearly indicates that the choosing of date was rather thoughtful than being merely coincidental to Hedgewar’s death anniversary.
When the main reason behind making June 21 as ‘Yoga Day’ becomes apparent, it opens the debate that by selecting the particular date, is Modi not offering gratitude to RSS and its founder under the guise of June 21 to be the ‘the longest day in the northern hemisphere’?
One can also not forget PM Modi became the first ever Prime Minister who soon after entering the Parliament for the first time offered prayers to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar – who was an accused in the assassination of father of nation Mahatma Gandhi but was later acquitted.
Reaction pour:
Taking strong exception to the NDA government’s “forceful” approach to celebrate June 21 as ‘Yoga day’, A B Bardhan, the veteran Communist Party of India leader, said the date was deliberately chosen as it marked Hedgewar’s death anniversary. He says NDA government is imposing its ideology on people and forcing minorities who otherwise differ with their ideas.
Advocate Sohail Gazi, an emerging lawyer from Pune, feels that almost every major event that the BJP organizes is actually driven by its communal agenda. “Such a big event for the international community, it can never happen that Modi was unaware of Hedgewar’s death anniversary on June 21. I strongly suspect that it was suggested to him by the RSS.”
“Hedgewar is a big name for RSS and it would never miss an opportunity to adore him, especially when it has a chance to internationally celebrate any event,” he says.
Sarfaraz Shaikh, a political observer from Mumbai, opines that being RSS man, Modi happily chose Hedgewar’s death anniversary to offer him and RSS a special favour. “Hedgewar had nothing to do with Yoga. If Modi really wanted the world community to celebrate yoga on a special day, then he should have suggested anniversary of Budhha, who happened to be one of the biggest spirit of doing yoga.”
He says, it can never be a coincidence because “the RSS plans its activities well in advance and as far as my study regarding RSS goes, there is nothing like ‘coincidence’ with RSS.”
Anjum Inamdar, social activist turned AIMIM West Maharashtra chief, says: “Considering the fact that ever since BJP came to power, it is implementing its communal agenda in the country, there should not be any doubt that Modi and RSS specially chose June 21 to thanks Hedgewar for founding RSS.”
“It would have been a coincidence if Modi would have chosen anniversaries of any Muslim leaders”, he said mockingly.