Prime Minister Narendra Modi (PTI photo)
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed yoga as a “powerful force” that unites people across communities and countries as he led the national celebrations of the International Yoga Day from Kolkata’s Red Road.Joining thousands of participants in a mass yoga session, PM Modi said the growing enthusiasm for yoga reflected its importance in people’s daily lives and its role in promoting physical, mental and emotional well-being.Later, in a post on X, the Prime Minister praised the large turnout at the Kolkata event and said the participation of people from all walks of life sent a strong message about the relevance of yoga.“An exceptional Yoga Day programme was held at Kolkata’s Red Road this morning, in which people from all walks of life participated, giving an important message on the vitality of Yoga in everyone’s lives. This time, the theme was ‘Yoga For Healthy Ageing’ which emphasised the importance of Yoga in all ages to remain fit and healthy,” he said.
PM Modi performs Yoga
PM Modi also thanked the people of Kolkata for hosting the event and lauded the cleanliness drives conducted across the city in the run-up to Yoga Day.“I would like to express gratitude to my sisters and brothers of Kolkata for being such outstanding hosts for this year’s Yoga Day programme. It is an honour to mark it in this vibrant city. In the run-up to Yoga Day, there were cleanliness drives across the city, which were also very inspiring,” he said.
PM Modi in Kolkata
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said yoga has emerged as a global movement that connects humanity.“The entire nation, world, seems connected. This is the power of yoga. Yoga connects everyone, brings everyone together. On this occasion, I extend my heartfelt greetings to the entire world, to the entire human community on International Yoga Day,” he said.
This year’s theme, “Yoga for healthy ageing”, focused on the role of yoga in helping people lead healthier and more active lives at every age. PM Modi said yoga enables people to maintain their physical vitality, mental strength and resilience against lifestyle diseases as they grow older.“When we speak of ‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’, it means that we can work to ensure that age doesn’t reduce human potential. Yoga can help human life to aspire for constant growth. Our target must be to be more flexible at 40 than we were at 20. Our target must be more energetic at 50 than we were at 30. Our target must be to be more resistant to lifestyle diseases at 70 than we were at 50. This is where Yoga can help us,” he said.
Source: X
The Prime Minister stressed that yoga should become a way of life rather than remain limited to an annual event.“Yoga is not only essential for our personal lifestyle today. Yoga is also a necessity for a better future for the world. We will not limit yoga to just one day, we will not limit yoga to just one program, we will make yoga a part of our lives, a part of our families, and an integral part of the lives of future generations as well,” he said.Drawing from West Bengal’s spiritual and cultural legacy, PM Modi invoked Rabindranath Tagore’s philosophy of human connection, saying yoga embodies the idea of linking individuals with the world around them. He also appreciated the people of Kolkata for creating a clean and welcoming environment for the celebrations.Yoga Day was marked across the country with participation from senior political leaders and citizens. Union home minister Amit Shah joined a yoga session in Ahmedabad, while external affairs minister S Jaishankar participated in celebrations at Delhi’s Nehru Park. Union ministers Piyush Goyal and JP Nadda also took part in Yoga Day events and highlighted the growing global popularity of yoga.Observed every year on June 21, the International Day of Yoga was established after the United Nations adopted India’s proposal in 2014, with support from 175 member states.The first International Day of Yoga was celebrated in 2015, and the event has since grown into a global movement promoting health, wellness and harmony.