PM Modi Yoga Day Speech, Celebrations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed yoga in Srinagar on the occasion of the 10th International Yoga Day. PM Modi, on Friday, said that the world sees yoga as a powerful agent for global good as it helps people live in the present without carrying the baggage of the past.
He addressed a gathering at the 10th International Yoga Day event at the Sheri-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar where he said yoga has helped people realise that their welfare is linked to the welfare of the world around them.
“The world is looking at yoga as a powerful agent of global good. Yoga helps us live in the present moment without the baggage of the past,” Prime Minister Modi said, PTI reported.
“When we are peaceful within, we can also make a positive impact on the world…Yoga is making new ways of positive change in the society,” he added.
The event initially planned to take place on the lawns of the SKICC by the banks of Dal Lake, was moved indoors due to continuous rain. Prime Minister also noted that the number of yoga practitioners worldwide is steadily increasing, with yoga becoming an integral part of their daily routines.
“In many countries, yoga is becoming a part of the people’s daily lives,” PM Modi cited the examples of Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, and Germany for increasing participation in yoga, saying the ancient form of meditation was fast becoming popular there.
In his address, the Prime Minister also mentioned 101-year-old Frenchwoman Charlotte Chopin, who was awarded the Padma Shri for her efforts in popularizing yoga in her country. He highlighted that the global spread of yoga has changed perceptions about the practice, with more people traveling to India to gain authentic knowledge.
He also said that yoga provides solutions to several problems faced by people today.
The prime minister said that astronauts and individuals involved in space projects are also trained in yoga, as it enhances both productivity and tolerance.
Modi expressed satisfaction that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are embracing yoga, a development that will benefit the Union Territory’s tourism sector.
He said, “I have been seeing since yesterday that yoga is becoming popular with the people of Srinagar and (rest of) Jammu and Kashmir. It is a big thing that 50,000 to 60,000 people are associated with yoga. This will attract more tourists here”.