New Delhi, June 21:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday highlighted the importance of practising yoga during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, as he addressed the lead event of International Yoga Day 2021. He also prayed for health and well-being of people around the world.
“Today when the entire world is fighting against Covid-19 pandemic, yoga has become a ray of hope. For two years now, no public event has been organised in India or the world but enthusiasm for Yoga has not gone down,” said PM Modi.
“The ‘Yoga For Wellness’ theme on this International Yoga Day has encouraged people even more to perform yoga. I pray that every country, region, and people stay healthy,” he added.
The Prime Minister further said that even the medical science lays emphasis on the healing process, besides medical treatment, and yoga can help in it.
“When I talk to frontline warriors and doctors, they tell me that they’ve made Yoga a shield for protection against the virus. They’ve used Yoga not just for safeguarding themselves, but also patients,” said PM Modi.
“Yoga shows us the road from stress to strength and from negativity to creativity,” the Prime Minister further said. He also announced the launch of a M-Yoga app, which will have videos on yoga training based on common yoga protocol.
Before the Prime Minister’s address, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said in a brief address that yoga is not only helping people in various countries, it is seen as India’s gift to the world.
The seventh International Yoga Day is being celebrated across the world today. This is the second consecutive year that the celebrations are being held digitally due to Covid-19. The theme this year is ‘Yoga for wellness’.
On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly had declared June 21 as ‘International Day of Yoga’, months after PM Modi had proposed the idea.
The missions of India abroad have been coordinating activities in the run-up to International Yoga Day. According to the Ayush ministry, the day is being observed in about 190 countries.
