NEW DELHI: Yoga, pranayam and deep breathing are what help Prime Minister Narendra Modi stay energetic from morning till night, despite the less-than-five-hour sleep he gets. A short break for deep breathing is all he does whenever the energy level flags. The first sneak-peek into Modi’s well-guarded private life had come via his own admission and a few snaps of his daily yoga routine.
On June 21, this very personal experience of the Prime Minister will get linked to International Yoga Day to become his next mass-level programme after Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
He is in search of ambassadors to take the message forward. And people from various walks of life, including Union Ministers, Parliamentarians, government officials, defence, police personnel and students are being roped into do the bidding.
Ayush Minister Sripad Yasso Naik, who has been appointed to propagate alternative medicine systems, told Express, “All ministers, MPs, Opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as well as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have been invited to participate in the International Yoga Day event in Delhi.”
From 7-7.35 am on June 21, Rajpath, which is abutted by Rashtrapati Bhavan on one end and India Gate on the other, will be converted into a yoga camp. About 45,000 to 50,000 people are expected to participate in the event, for which online enrolment is on.
The Ayush Ministry is looking after the nitty-gritty of the event, for which the Prime Minister himself has been holding meetings. He’s told officials that everything should be done to make it a success so that Yoga became a mass movement.
But will the Opposition leaders attend? “It’s up to them. We’ve invited everyone. Prominent sportspersons and filmstars such as Shilpa Shetty and Akshay Kumar, India Test captain Virat Kohli and champion grappler Sushil Kumar will be joining Modi at the Rajpath Yoga camp.
Not less than 15 asanas and five-minute meditation will be part of the programme. The ministry has written to Yoga gurus and their disciples requesting them to ensure their participation. However, it has not yet been decided as to who will lead the session.
And state governments and Indian missions abroad have been asked to conduct similar programmes. There is an underlying agenda to let the world know where Yoga originated.