ASSAM: PREPARATION FOR 4TH INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY STARTS

With the fourth United Nations International Day of Yoga just around the corner, Hailakandi is making all-out preparations for celebrating the day on June 21.

Chairing a meeting at his office conference hall on Friday, Deputy Commissioner, Adil Khan discussed threadbare a detailed action plan with senior officials of the administration, district heads of departments and principals of schools and colleges for celebrating the day in a befitting manner.

Various events have been lined up to celebrate the day with mass yoga demonstrations, meditation sessions, lecture, quiz, debates, seminars and workshops to spread the beneficial effects of yoga in terms of physical and emotional well-being among all sections of the society.

It was decided in the meeting to hold the central function at the Deputy Commissioner’s office premises with mass demonstration of yoga at 6.30 am. Around 1,000 participants from schools, NCCs, scouts and guides, NGOs, clubs, leading citizens, officials and employees of government establishments, Assam Police and other security agencies will take part in the demonstrations to be conducted by trained yoga instructors.

The day will also be observed in all the 62 Gaon Panchayats and five development blocks across the district.

It was also decided in the meeting to conduct yoga practice at the Officers’ Recreation Club in Hailakandi town from 6 am beginning tomorrow. Government yoga instructors along with Pantanjali instructors will conduct the training.

Patanjali will also hold yoga demonstrations in schools and in its centres across the district on June 21.

Deputy Commissioner Khan sought the support and cooperation from one and all for observing the day successfully and in making yoga a mass movement.

Every year, June 21 is celebrated as IDY all over the world. The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on 11 December 2014, at the initiative of India, declaring June 21 as the IDY. The resolution was co-sponsored by a record number of 177 countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea of having an International Yoga Day during his 2014 speech at UNGA. During his UN General Assembly 2014 speech, PM Modi said, "Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with you, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in well being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day."

The UN resolution calls upon governments and people all over the world to observe this day in appropriate manner and to raise awareness of the benefits of practicing yoga. It notes the importance of individuals and populations making healthier choices.

The resolution also points out that global health is a long term development objective, yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being and wider dissemination of information on the benefits of yoga would be beneficial for both physical and mental health of the world population.

Today yoga, an ancient practice that began in India more than 5,000 years ago, is practised across the world and in various forms, with the IDY aiming to raise further awareness of its myriad health benefits.