Smriti Irani leads mass Yoga day event, Muslims join despite Roza fasts

BHOPAL: As Prime minister Narendra Modi kicks off yoga for embracing a happy life at Chandigarh early morning, human resource development minister Smriti Zubin Irani led state level mass yoga event at Lal Parade ground, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 2nd International Yoga Day Tuesday.
Even heavy rains a day ahead, couldn’t dampen the spirit of participants at the ground, who reached and performed yoga with full dedication.
In the absence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is off to 5 day visit to China, Home minister Babu Lal Gaur with other senior officials Chief secretary Anthony J.C. de Sa, additional chief secretary S R Mohanti, School education department, took the centre stage at ground for performing Yoga, with HRD minister.
Along with them, about 800 students from class 7 to class 12, NCC, colleges, yoga institutes, government employees, bank employees, participated at the event held. Total participation was of about 1200 people at the ground.
“I am happy that so many students are took part at Yoga day here, this will prepare them for better future with all their strength. Since chief minister is out of country, it had to be someone’s responsibility to take the lead here,” said Smriti Irani, while interacting with media.
Irani, arrived at ground at sharp 6:30am and took the position to start the Yoga after a brief message from Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the participants for making the event successful. The event was organized by State education department.
High in spirit of Yoga day, there were some who placed their mats under city bridge from Kohefiza to Royal market, to do Yoga. "We are doing yoga under the bridge in open, so that every passer by can join in. This is for the awareness of people," said Vinod Soni.
On other hand, there were people from all community who joined in. Muslims, even after observing Rozas participated at the event. “Yoga has always been part of my life as Namaz. They are almost the same postures. We do perform five times Namaz, then why not yoga,” said Rashida Qureshi, a doctor.
Adding on, “I had been suffering from spondylitis for past two years and just three months of Yoga helped me move out of immense pain. Yoga is boon for me, and I am continuing my classes. I have kept Roza.,” said Rizwana Sayeed, assistant professor from Safia College.
However, there were some glitches that common participants faced due to unavailability of screens and yoga teachers at the back. “We were not able to do Yoga properly as there were no Yoga instructor at the back and no screens. We were not able to hear the instruction from the stage too. So we left in between.”
Event concluded at 8am with thundering claps of joys by hundreds across the ground. Several other private and missionary schools organized Yoga day event at their school premises across city, if they were not at main event. MPs, MLAs, district and sarpanches lead the Yoga day event in their respective areas across state.