Yoga, Yogi and The Controversy

June 21 will be Yoga International Day. With Modi's government planning to give a big push, the event is turning out to be controversial. The controversy surrounding the event is accentuated by the fact that Yoga is or is being made a Hindu religious practice and is or is being read as forcing down the throat of citizens including those who are not Hindus. 

Is Yoga a Hindu religious practice? The government says that Yoga day has nothing to do with Hindu religion. Many are not convinced as much as they are not convinced with the government's statement that cow slaughter ban (and so ban on beef consumption) in certain states is not about religion. These people believe that cow slaughter ban or Yoga push is part of government's plan to introduce Hindu belief and practice into the larger community life. Personally I am not quite sure whether Yoga is intrinsically linked to religion or not. Yes, at its beginning Yoga was connected to Hindu religion. There is not much non-acceptance at that point. The question is whether it still is the case. For example, if we examine the meaning of 'namaskar' or 'namastey', they have deep religious meaning. But today most people would say not associate them with religion but treat them as part of the cultural life. Question is whether Yoga has become more like 'namaskar/namastey', having lost its religious significance. 

It is said that '0' (zero) is India's gift to the world. This gift has nothing to do with religion; it's more territorial. Similarly, India can say Yoga is India's gift to the world. But if Yoga is inherently religious, then the issue is little different. Just as government of India ought not to promote Hindu religion and endorse it saying it is India's gift to the world, government also must not promote Yoga as India's gift to world if Yoga is inherently a Hindu religious practice. Doing so would tantamount to a state endorsing one religious belief over other religious beliefs. 

Given that Yogi Adityanath, a hardcore right wing Hindu political leader of BJP, spews venom against those who object to government's order that tries to make Yoga posture like Surya Namaskar (which then makes Yogo inherently part of Hindu religious tradition) compulsory PM must emphatically rebuke such remarks in public and clears the air that Yoga has nothing to do with religion. Instead of making a senior Minister speaks, it is high time PM opens his mouth against such repeated hate speech by Member of Parliament belonging to his party and clears the air. And unless PM speaks, it is unlikely religious minorities would be assured of their place in a political environment that is increasingly becoming less liberal. 

Yet in all of this, I can't help wondering why this government is taking up something which is rather controversial. Why can't PM give more energy and life to his wonderful campaign -- Swacch Bharat (Clean India)? Had PM come out with Swacch Bharat-II, that would convey to the citizens that he is determined to, or at least, attempted to sanitize and make India disease free. That would be more productive -- politically and socially. And so despite Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh trying to clear the controversy, the suspicion remains!