Yoga practice sessions begin in the run-up to June 21 celebrations; senior Haryana bureaucrats forced to wake up early today

IN THE run-up to the International Yoga Day celebrations in Chandigarh on June 21, which is scheduled to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, bureaucrats from Haryana to New York have swung into action in holding or even participating in practice sessions. Senior bureaucrats in Haryana, many of whom were visibly reluctant, had to wake up early in the morning today (Tuesday) as the state chief secretary issued a…

directive asking 21 additional chief secretaries and 15 principal secretaries among others to participate in a Yoga training camp conducted by Yoga Guru and the state’s brand ambassador Baba Ramdev. As reported in an article in The Indian Express, many of those bureaucrats were very upset as they were almost forced to attend the session at Parade Ground, Sector 5, Panchkula between 5 am to 7 am. The report further quoted a bureaucrat saying anonymously that it was against his dignity to queue up and participate in the Yoga session that begins at 5 in the morning. For some bureaucrats who are regular practitioners of Yoga, such a directive won't however make them unhappy.

The communication to the bureaucrats was issued on Monday by director, AYUSH, Haryana on behalf of the state’s chief secretary Deepinder Singh Dhesi. 

Meanwhile, many bureaucrats and diplomats have begun their preparations to make the Yoga event a success this time too. AYUSH minister Shripad Y Naik while posting a Yoga photo calls Yoga a “unifying phenomena throughout the world”, appealing people to make it a “mass movement”. 

India’s ambassador to United Nations Syed Akbaruddin posts a Yoga practice session in New York with the following caption: “Practice makes perfect. With 10 days for #IDY2016, regular Yoga practice sessions @IndiaUNNewYork are in full swing”. 

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that a number of high-profile personalities and celebrities would publicly do Yoga on the forthcoming International Yoga Day. For example, Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri will join Yoga Day celebrations on June 21.