Congress opposes Goa govt circular mandating Yoga Day attendance for students, teachers
The Directorate of National Education instructed all schools to hold Yoga sessions on Sunday, June 21, which is celebrated as World Yoga Day.
“Yoga is a personal choice and should never become a mandatory obligation,” state Congress president Girish Chodankar said in a statement.
“Sunday is the only day many families spend together. It is also a day of prayer and religious ceremonies for many communities in Goa.” He added that parents should have the freedom to decide how their children will spend their weekly holidays.
Responding to Chodankar’s statement, Goa BJP Medical Cell co-convener Dr Sneha Bhagwat said the politicization of the circular was “sad and unfortunate” and pointed out that a student can attend a yoga session at any place near his home.
“Yoga is for health, well-being, mental and emotional stability, which is a much-needed right for students,” he said.
More than 193 countries have adopted yoga, and more than 300 research papers have found that a 20-minute daily yoga practice can improve life expectancy and quality of life by “70 percent,” Bhagwat said. Research has also revealed that yoga can prevent 90 percent of idiopathic diseases (the exact cause of which is unknown).
Bhagwat also claimed that the circular did not say that students should participate in the Yoga Day program only in school. “It’s just waiting for you to join a yoga session anywhere near you,” she said.
