International Yoga Day, June 21 to be declared public holiday?
New Delhi, June 9: International Yoga Day(IYD), June 21 may be declared a public holiday. Reportedly, Ayush Minister Shripad Naik has said that he will request Modi government to consider the proposal if such a demand comes.
Minister made the statement while speaking ahead of the second IYD celebrations. He said that his ministry will consider the proposal and request Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the same in the interest of promoting a practice with multiple benefits to the masses.
"It is not needed, nobody has demanded that. Last year, also no such demand came. But if the demand comes, I will request the Prime Minister to do so.
"Yoga's
time
is
early
morning.
It
will
go
on
around
8
am.
There
is
no
need
of
a
holiday
but
if
there
is
a
demand
for
that,
we
will
request
the
government,"
Naik
said
during
the
National
Health
Editors' Conference
on
the
theme
-
'Yoga
for
Holistic
Health
-
Recent
Researches'
in
Delhi.
June
21
this
year
falls
on
Tuesday
while
last
year,
it
fell
on
a
Sunday.
He also dismissed the controversy related to chanting of Om during the event and said it has not been made compulsory.
"There is always some opposition whenever some good work is done. There is no opposition this year to it. We have not made it compulsory. Without OM, yoga cannot be complete. We have made those people who are opposing understand this and it seems they have understood," he said.
Controversy hit the headlines recently
A fresh controversy had broke out recently over the UGC's directive asking universities and colleges to follow Ayush ministry's yoga protocol that begins with chanting of 'Om' and some Sanskrit sholakas during Yoga Day celebrations on June 21.
Both the government and BJP, however had insisted that last year's protocol has been maintained and no changes have been made. "There is no compulsion to chant 'Om'," the Ministry had earlier said.
Asked about the controversy which had erupted over performing of 'Suryanamaskar asana, the minister said that this particular 'asana' had not been kept last year and this year, it will not be performed.
"The Surya namashkar asana, last year also we had not taken it. It's a complex exercise. It is difficult to do in 45 minutes and for people who are new to the exercise.
Therefore we have not kept this one," Naik said. Ayush Ministry officials said that yoga has been added in the physical activity sessions in various schools for class six to tenth but it has not been made compulsory.
Naik
said
that
a
circular
has
also
been
issued
by
the
HRD
Minister
to
all
the
schools
to
include
yoga
and
while
many
schools
have
adopted
it,
for
others,
"work
is
in
progress".
"HRD
minister
has
sent
circular
to
schools.
Work
is
in
progress.
All
schools
have
started
adopting,"
Naik
said.
Asked about the total budget of the Ministry for this year's celebrations, Ministry secretary Ajit Sharan said that every ministry is spending its own money and Ayush Ministry is not supporting anybody in terms of funds for celebrating this.
"Although
if
all
is
taken
collectively,
it
may
be
hundreds
of
crores.
But
from
the
AYUSH
Ministry
side,
the
sum
is
around
Rs
15
crore,"
he
said.
Naik said that most of the modern day health problems are because of faulty life-style and yoga is an "efficacious" means to overcome these disorders.
OneIndia News
(With inputs from PTI)