Madhya Pradesh on Thursday announced that it would include yoga in the school curriculum as lakhs of students took part in the state-sponsored mass Surya Namaksar and Pranayam organised in schools and colleges across the state.

Even prisoners in state jails were made to undergo the drill, but no one was compelled to participate as the exercise has drawn flak from Muslims and Christians, who accused the BJP government of furthering a sectarian agenda by promoting rituals followed by the majority community. They claimed students belonging to minority communities kept away from educational institutions where they were under pressure to participate.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the mass drill by himself taking part in the programme organised in the state capital where he made a series of announcements to promote yoga. He claimed only a section of minorities was opposing the programme though government had made it clear that participation was not compulsory. Constitution of a yoga council, time-bound training of yoga instructors, facilities to reputed institutions to set up centers in MP, taking help of such institutions in state-sponsored programmes, and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for making yoga popular in the state were among the announcements made by Chouhan on the occasion. He said the government had only health benefits in mind when it sought to promote the ancient practice.

Similar programmes were also organised at district headquarters besides schools and colleges. Ministers had been directed to attend these programmes. The Sanskrit shlokas that correspond to each of the 12 Surya Namaksars were replaced by numbers.

... contd.