By Aabid Ali Haider,
21st June, 2015 will be remembered as a remarkable day in history, when India along with the world commemorated the day as the first International Yoga day. The media both at the national and the international level extensively covered the event. On 21st June, India also set two new Guinness World Records – for the most individuals and individuals from the largest number of nationalities in performing the exercises at a single venue.
Courtesy: Press Information BureauAfter 21st June, it is worth mentioning that now Yoga has become an international phenomenon, thanks to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as it was he who took the initiative, last September at the United Nations to celebrate International Yoga Day. There’s no doubt, as the media claims that people will always remain indebted to the Prime Minister for reviving the potential of yoga which had remained untapped for long in the country of its origin. Indeed, PM Modi’s initiative is laudable.
However, there is no denying of the fact that the Yoga Programme was amid controversies resting on communal lines, despite Government’s claim that the Yoga is only a “voluntary” and a “secular” activity, solely committed towards the benefit of an individual’s health.
After much-hyped Yoga Day the Government is all set to introduce Yoga as a “compulsory” subject in Government schools. How ironical isn’t it? The very same Government had claimed earlier that yoga is “voluntary” activity. Moreover, recently central paramilitary forces have been told to practice yoga regularly after Home Ministry issued instructions to implement yoga drills on priority. There are speculations that even regular forces of states will be asked to include yoga drills in the daily physical training programme.
The reason behind such instructions issued to these institutions, is that besides aiming at physical and mental health, yoga also acts as a stress-buster. The Government owing to the fact that army personnel and police forces lead a stressful life due to the nature of their work, yoga will come handy to help bust stress and fatigue. However, the author is of the view that such initiative probably would not serve any purpose!
It is a fact that army (air, land and sea) is not open for everyone. Even if one passes the NDA Examinations, he has to pass the tough physical and mental trials. He is also given such training in the academies. An army personal at no time can afford to lead a stressful life; otherwise he is not fit to serve the nation. Same applies to police forces. Besides, such services call for strict, dedicated and disciplined call of duty! Humiliation, criticism are part and parcel of such services.
Yoga will be a stress- buster only for those who regularly practice it. For others especially the younger lots , it would be monotonous activity which would become stressful for them to attend such drills, something which they don’t cherish or practice regularly. The Government instead should aim to develop and promote sports and games facilities like well- equipped gymnasium, tennis and badminton courts, swimming pools which are often reserved for top most officers and are not available to the subordinates.
Again, the idea of introducing yoga in Government schools as compulsory subjects is not tenable. Petitions have already been filed before the Honourable Supreme Court seeking for an injunction against such a proposal. The petitioners are arguing that yoga tends to propagate Hindu rituals and customs and has led the Apex Court to mull over this issue whether it is anti-secular. However, the idea of yoga having as a compulsory subject is not desirable because of the following reasons:
1. If yoga is introduced as a compulsory subject, then there is high probability that the subject would bring along with it the Vedic shlokas and rituals which will be against the tenets of other religions. Then, the yoga would not be studied as subject which aims towards health but as a religious text. This will be highly anti-secular and erroneous.
2. This will become a ground to give rise to community-rifts.
3. Allegations will be levelled and would become a ground reality that the Government is promoting “Hindutva” i.e. a “Hindu- Rashtra”.
4. The fact cannot be overlooked that young children don’t like organized and compulsory activities. Compulsory Yoga would become tiring and monotonous for them.
5. There are endless ways and mechanisms through which a child can burst his/ her stress.
6. The Government plans to introduce yoga by asserting that yoga will help improve child’s health. In schools children already engage themselves in games and sports which help them in their growth and development. The Government should instead develop and improve the sports infrastructure in these schools which will be a much welcomed initiative.
7. The Government asserts that Yoga is vital towards the betterment of child’s health and that is the prime reason for its proposed introduction in the schools. However, a fact should be taken into consideration that one needs energy to perform exercises. The BJP led Government in states like Madhya Pradesh have stopped serving eggs which happens to be an important source of protein and energy! Protein rich foods are often termed as “body-building” foods and is must to promote good health.
8. Another important fact which should not be overlooked is that in schools many children are not eager to attend even regular physical education/physical training classes. In such a scenario the whole idea of compulsory yoga classes will not serve any fruitful purpose. The Government should instead endeavour to revive such classes.
Further, Government should not forget that any policy, programme or law has to operate in socio-economic and political background. Such become successful when people willingly follow them. Before contemplating on the idea of Yoga as compulsory drills or subject, one should ask the Government whether it or the media has ever conducted a research so as to find out that how many people especially the young ones, voluntarily and regularly practice yoga?
In nutshell, the Government is highlighting the importance of yoga because of two reasons:
1. Yoga helps improving physical, mental and spiritual well being of an individual.
2. Yoga acts as an important stress-buster.
If it so then the Government should first make it mandatory for the members of the Parliament and Legislative Assemblies because it is vital for our political leaders to be fit and healthy and of course stress free! Government claims that armed personal and police forces lead a stressful life but politicians are no exceptions.
They do lead a stressful life owing to the complains, cries, criticism of common man, scrutiny of the media and the opposition! The yoga shows the Government’s concern about the importance of good health. If it so, then Government should endeavour to introduce efficient health services which have fallen into the private-sector and is beyond the reach of common man! The Government should combat the problems relating to sanitation which are the root causes of many diseases and where much social legislation have proved to be ineffective.
To promote health, the Government should completely ban the sale of cigarettes, “bidis”, “gutkas” and spurious drinks. It is a pity to mention that when the country was celebrating the Yoga Day and the media covering the event completely overshadowed the news that many people in Mumbai died because of consumption of poisonous liquor.
There is also other news that the media has not covered it extensively. One such is that earlier, MP Government had denied and stopped the yoga therapy for MIC affected patients. However, the very same Government expended huge amounts of money to commemorate Yoga Day! The gas victims have accused the government of charade. Further, the Government should bring and enforce stringent laws to solve the socio-economic problems which are a major source of people’s stress.
Finally, one must not forget that some members of this very Government had indulged in hate speeches which were specifically targeted against some religious minority groups. These have caused great unrest and stress among the people belonging to minority groups. Should they practice yoga to bust their stress?
One should ask the members of the Government in power that how many of them practice yoga regularly! To tell the people what and which exercise is good and beneficial of their health is the task of physical trainers, psychologists, doctors and sports’ coaches. Moreover, being healthy and stress free is an individual’s concern and the Government has no right to interfere into one’s private life by making yoga drills compulsory. If the Government is really concerned about its citizen’s health and education, it should then take bold steps to stop the privatization of education and health services and make them available to common man.
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( Author is a law student at Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur)