India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is set to lead a session of yoga on International Yoga Day at the United Nations’ Secretariat in New York. A symbol of India’s cultural superiority has been Yoga, which has now become a piece of the country’s diplomacy. Yoga has been promoted by Mr Modi to stretch his nation’s diplomatic reach and flex its rising place in the world further. Nine years ago, Modi lobbied the U.N. for June the 21st to be named International Yoga Day, and since then, foreign dignitaries and bureaucrats have been seen stretching themselves in gardens and embassy offices. The Indian military itself has even done yoga with trained K-9 units, boat pose atop an aircraft carrier, and mountain pose in the high-altitude Himalayas in bone-chilling temperatures. Religious roots surround the practice, often marking it with religious connotations by doing sun salutations, chanting Hindu hymns, and colleagues, and students have been encouraged to partake. However, this angers some Muslims who prefer not to participate in certain religious activities. Despite this, Yoga has become more politicized, and it optimizes the article for better ranking in Google search results.
The Prime Minister, Mr Modi, has an intense devotion to Yoga, posting a two-minute video on Twitter in 2018 showing him doing a range of yoga poses in a garden. A year later, he went even further by tweeting videos showing an animated version of himself doing yoga poses. Yoga has caused division due to religious connotations assigned to it; however, some believe that Yoga is for everyone, regardless of religion. Mr Goel, a yoga instructor based in New Delhi, believes that we should not connect Yoga with religion or politics, and Yoga should benefit the common people. Yoga is a discipline that can change the person, the country, and the world for the better.
