The fifth edition of the International Yoga Day was very special for Jharkhand and its capital Ranchi as the city woke up early on Friday morning and participated in a mega event – a 45-minute yoga session with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Amid heightened security, PM Modi performed asanas, leading more than 35,000 aspirants who had gathered to attend the event. The Prime Minister said that the motto is “yoga for peace, harmony and progress”. He also urged people from across the world to embrace yoga.
PM Modi’s message to all, during his speech, was “yoga for all and all for yoga”. He said that yoga should be an integral part of the life of the poor and people from weaker socio-economic background. “If yoga can be taught in villages, rural areas, jungles and far-flung areas from the cities, it can become a big option for preventive healthcare and wellness,” he said. He also expressed concern over the growing health ailments and the younger generation becoming vulnerable to it.
According to the PM, there could not be any better place than the Jharkhand capital to celebrate the day. “We launched Ayushman Bharat Yojana in September 2018, to open a new vista in the healthcare sector – for tribal people and the economically backward section. Yoga is also related to health,” he added.
Nearly 400 toilets and 80 drinking water kiosks were set up for participants. More than a dozen TV screens were installed to telecast the event. Bureaucrats, the police top brass, officers, schoolkids, service and business class and people from all walks of life had gathered to take part in the grand event.
IAS officers Aradhana Patanaik, Asish Singh Marka, KK Sone were of the opinion that the programme was a runaway success and was very well-organised.
It rained a little during the event, but it did not put a dampener on the occasion. The youth and children were mesmerised by Prime Minister Modi’s personality and the event was an overall success for the seamless way it was organised.