CM leads the drill, says yoga to be in MP school curriculum

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.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court had asked the state government on Wednesday not to compel anyone to take part in the programme as two petitioners had submitted that schools, teachers and students were being made to attend the rehearsals against their wishes. Initially, the government had claimed that only government schools and colleges were being asked to participate, but several private schools had got the circulars that made participation compulsory.

Muslim organisations like the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind had urged members of the minority community to boycott Thursday’s programme, saying it was unconstitutional for any government to promote one religion over the other. They said Islam does not permit them to bow before anyone but Allah.

A symbolic protest was organised at Iqbal Maidan in the state capital by a few Muslim and secular organisations. Speakers alleged that by organising programmes like the singing of Vande Mataram and Surya Namaksar, the BJP government in MP was following the saffron agenda set by the RSS. A speaker said despite protests the government did not change the title of the mass programme and proved that it did not care for one section of the society.

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