What about National Festivals?

The entire nation and the world witnessed enthusiastic participation in the International Day of Yoga event. World leaders, spiritual gurus, diplomats and yoga experts, during every year’s celebration, are overwhelmed by the response of the call given by India at the UN five years ago. India celebrated the Yoga Day with enormous participation of senior political representatives, government officials and the Prime Minister himself, who took the helm to the United Nations to mark such an event. All Indian embassies and consulates across the world too celebrated the Yoga Day under the flagship initiated by the government. The entire nation thus stood still for a few hours in anticipation and dedication of a few minutes towards yoga. The enthusiastic response witnessed in India, especially among the urban masses, signifies the need of yoga in a modern, stressful and busy world.

However, it is ironical to note that no such enthusiasm or overwhelming response is demonstrated on the occasion of national festivals. The national festivals, as declared, signify our democratic strength in celebrating either an Independence Day or a Republic Day – as also as we are in 150th birth year of Mahatma Gandhi to be celebrated in the upcoming months.

There is now an urgent need to restore pride through consistent enthusiasm as demonstrated towards the Yoga Day while celebrating these national festive occasions also.

Varun Dambal,

Nagarbhavi, Bangalore-72.