JNU, DU celebrate Yoga Day with fervour

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and several colleges of the Delhi University (DU) participated in the International Yoga Day on Tuesday. The JNU organised a Yoga workshop where Vice-Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar distributed certificates to the participants. The Yoga Day was being led by the School of language (centre of Sanskrit).  

“The university will also bring out the CDs and print materials containing instructions for Yoga. Also, JNU honoured all the participants with participation certificates at the end of the programme,” said JNU’s spokesperson. School children and JNU alumni also attended the programme.

Starting from June 17 JNU has organised a lecture series ‘Bharatiya Parampara Me Yog (Yoga in Indian Tradition).

 South and North campuses of DU, Hindu College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma (ARSD) college, Shyam Lal College, and others, joined the yoga chorus on Tuesday. Shyam Lal College organised a seminar on yoga where many eminent yoga gurus deliberated on the tradition of yoga in Indian culture.

June 21, 2015 was declared as the International Yoga Day by the United Nations in 2015. Last year, teachers’ association of JNU and Delhi University (DU) had opposed the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) notice to colleges on International Yoga Day on June 21 and called it an attempt to perpetuate “cultural homogeneity”.

Also in a petition — “Stop using Yoga to coercively enforce cultural homogeneity! Invest in our health and not in a media spectacle!” — started by JNU Professor Ayesha Kidwai, teachers had expressed their reservation about the real intention behind the day.