PM Modi to lead Int’l Yoga Day celebrations in Srinagar on June 21
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the main event marking the International Day of Yoga celebrations in Srinagar on June 21, AYUSH Minister Prataprao Jadhav said here on Tuesday.
The main celebrations this year will be held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar in Kashmir Valley.
Jadhav, the Minister of State for Ayush (independent charge), said this year’s theme ‘Yoga for Self and Society’ highlights yoga’s dual role in fostering individual and societal wellbeing. It underlines promoting the connection between the inner self and the outer world going beyond one’s own wellbeing, Jadhav said.
“Yoga nurtures physical, mental, and spiritual growth while promoting societal harmony. The enthusiastic participation of millions in recent years reflects the profound impact of yoga on communities,” the minister said.
He also announced that the PM has written to each gram pradhan, encouraging grassroots participation and the spread of yoga in rural areas.
Jadhav launched a ‘Common Yoga Protocol Book in Braille’ script to support visually impaired people to learn and practice yoga with convenience.
The United Nations General Assembly, heeding a call by Prime Minister Modi, had made a declaration in December 2014 to observe June 21 every year as International Day of Yoga (IDY). Since 2015, the IDY has evolved into a mass movement around the world, Jadhav said.
Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha said Yoga Day is not only a celebration but also a concerted effort to bring about a behavioural change so that people adopt yoga in their lives so that they can get the benefits of yoga.
This year, the IDY will witness several events including the ‘Yoga for Space’. With support of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), a unique initiative called ‘Yoga for Space’ is being organised wherein all ISRO scientists/officers will perform Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) on IDY. The Gaganyaan project team will also be participating in IDY 2024.
Last year, the global celebration of IDY was led by Modi at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA, while the national celebration was led by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
Meanwhile, PM Modi on Tuesday said his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ monthly radio broadcast will resume on June 30 and urged people to share their ideas and inputs for it.
“Delighted to share that after a gap of some months due to the elections, #MannKiBaat is back! This month’s programme will take place on Sunday, 30th June,” he said in a post on X.
“I call upon all of you to share your ideas and inputs for the same. Write on the MyGov Open Forum, NaMo App or record your message on 1800 11 7800,” Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi’s monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast was last aired on February 25 and then took a break for the Lok Sabha polls.
In the 110th episode of the programme, Modi had asked first-time voters to poll in record numbers in the elections and said their maiden vote should be cast for the country.
