BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: Ahead of International Yoga Day on 21st June, much muscle flexing has taken place between NDA Government and Muslim organisations, with former making it a prestige point to introduce the ancient practice in schools and latter openly opposing the move citing religious reasons. In the process, an avoidable polarising is shaping up between Hindus and Muslims in the already surcharged atmosphere. The leaders are playing politics, over an issue which ought to have been voluntary, thus bringing different segments of society eyeball to eyeball situation.
Who doesn’t want a healthy body and agile mind? But if some, however, don’t want this; why pushing them to wall by diluting the spirit of Yoga. Doing so will naturally have reaction and that is what the nation has been witnessing ever since the Narendra Modi led Government succeeded in bringing Yoga on international platform with the accreditation of United Nations.
True, Prime Minister Modi gave a new dimension, direction and definition to Yoga but the costs are no less. In his own country his government had to made amends by changing its contours, especially in respect of Aum and Surya Namaskar, integral to Yoga practice. He made Yoga secular though it was never communal. The government bowed down soon after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board objected to making Surya Namaskar mandatory in schools on the grounds that “Muslims bowed only before Allah.” It made compromises with the use of ‘Aum’ and performance of ‘Surya Namaskar’.
People still remember how Modi’s minister incharge organising the Yoga event last year, Shripad Naik tried to placate Muslim organisations and made a fervent appeal, saying, “Shlokas are not compulsory. Shlokas are merely prayers but it is not compulsory. They can even take the name of Allah instead of chanting Shlokas and if people do not want to chant ‘Om’, they can say ‘Allah.” The overzealous government went ahead by engaging an NGO, Mohammad Sayeed Memorial Welfare Society (MSMWS), to hold camps for Muslims without practicising Namaskar and reciting Om or Aum. Why such eagerness and enthusiasm to solicit participation of hesitant sections of the society? This is the story of Yoga becoming secular.
The melodrama behind changing contours of Yoga raise a pertinent question as to why the essence of this ancient practice is compromised to elicit participation of those who don’t approve of it just for its Hindu connection. Is it because some powerful man at the helm wants to shed the alleged communal tag to prove himself secular? There was no need for forcing Yoga in schools. In fact, many schools practiced it as an extracurricular for many many years without any controversy. Therefore, practicing or not practicising Yoga should have been left to the choice of students rather than making amends. Also it should be their discretion whether to use Om or perform Surya Namaskar.
The BJP Government must remember that choice of pursuing the courses and subjects is entirely exclusive domain of students. There is no force or coercion. No appeasement either. The students have a right to use their discretion like some opting for music as a subject and many preferring to pursue economics, education or any other subject. Apart from academic curriculum, every educational institution dedicates a specific time slot for sports activities and imparting music as a vocational course. It is left to the students whether to participate or not in these pursuits. There is no compulsion for them to opt for sports or play a particular game. Likewise, similar yard stick should have been applied to Yoga rather than making it a contentious issue.
Why raking up controversy over Surya Namaskar? There may be people with health problems who cannot practice asanas related with it at all and therefore the question that how many of those perform this regularly should have not arisen at all, if the organisers were sincerely interested in popularising Yoga across the world.
Those diluting the importance of Surya Namaskar or Aum are naïve about their essence in a practice that has become universal since, and not now. Politicisation of Indian traditions has done much harm to the ethos this country boasted about from times immemorial.
