CM urges people to rise against superstitions

A Correspondent

NAGAON, June 21: Assam joined the rest of the country in celebrating the 4th International Day of Yoga as Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, State Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohian along with others flexed their body with thousands of yoga enthusiasts to celebrate the Yoga Day at Nurul Amin Stadium in Nagaon on Thursday.

The State programme, which was organized by the Department of Health and Family Welfare jointly with Directorate of AYUSH, received spontaneous response from a large gathering as thousands gathered at the venue to flex their body to mark the fourth anniversary of the International Day of Yoga.

The two-hour event ‘Yoga for Peace and Harmony’, included diverse yogasanas to benefit the social, personal, physical, physiological, mental, psychological, intellectual and spiritual faculty of the participants based on Common Yoga Protocol conducted with the help of yoga demonstrators and teachers. People from diverse backgrounds accompanied with their families participated in the yoga sessions and performed asanas, pranayama and breathing exercises.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Sonowal said that yoga practices yielded immense positive effects which could reinforce peace and harmony and urged upon everybody to practice yoga resolutely. Sonowal also appealed to the people to make the International Day of Yoga an opportunity to take a resolute decision to remove all kinds of superstitions and defeat all forces guided by sheer superstitions. Referring to the recent incidents of the State which were the manifestations of blind faith and superstitions, Sonowal said, “Let this International Day of Yoga be an occasion to take an informed decision to rise against superstitions.” Stating that to strengthen peace in the society harmonious living was need of the hour, Sonowal said that yoga could well be the tool to establish peace and harmony in the society. He urged everybody to practice yoga and possess a good mind, fit body and to build a stronger society. He also hailed the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for getting it declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly.

State Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, while speaking on the occasion, said that science had already proved the utility of yoga which could lead to physical and mental wellbeing. Acceptance of yoga as an international event was indeed a testimony to India’s global role with regard to yoga. He also said that the declaration of the International Day of Yoga was a feather in the cap of India as regards to its national and ancient heritage.

Saying that Nagaon always deserved special treatment, Sarma said that the government would set up a dental college in Nagaon and informed that the health department had asked the Deputy Commissioner of Nagaon to earmark a plot of land for setting up the hospital. He also said that a 150-bedded cancer hospital would be established in Nagaon.

Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, MLA of Nagaon Rupak Sarma, Raha MLA Dimbeswar Das, MLA of Lakhimpur, Utpal Dutta, MLA of Batadraba, Angoorlata Deka, and a host of other dignitaries also participated in the Yoga Day celebrations.