New Delhi: In the race to find postures that will showcase their fervor for yoga and impress Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the navy has taken the lead.
Navy takes the lead
In a signal to commands, ships and bases, the navy headquarters has asked them to organise a “yogic picnic” for all officers and sailors and their families. The signal does not explain what comprises a “yogic picnic”.
A naval ship, the INS Kamorta, also sailed into the South China Sea disputed by China and five other nations and one of the most tense geopolitical zones at present, and docked at Kuantan in eastern Malaysia today. The Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy is on an annual deployment, making friendly port visits and “showing the flag” under the command of Rear Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today tweeted a picture of sailors and officers of the Kamorta doing yoga on the heli-deck of the anti-submarine warfare corvette built in Calcutta. The Kamorta is also the showpiece of the navy in support of the Prime Minister’s “Make In India” policy.
On World Yoga Day on June 21, when Modi will preside over a yoga session expected to be attended by tens of thousands, the Kamorta will be around the “nine-dash-line” – the Chinese claim line – in the South China Sea.
The sailors and officers will be performing pawanmukta asana (a yogic posture involving curling up on the back and passing wind) and other asanas on the heli-deck. What kind of “yogic picnic” in the South China Sea will they be on has not been disclosed. Modi tweeted a photograph of the posture recently and said that it has many benefits.
The Indian warships in the deployment are the INS Ranvir, a guided missile destroyer, commanded by Captain Jaswinder Singh, INS Satpura, indigenously built guided missile stealth frigate commanded by Captain Hari Krishnan, INS Shakti a fleet tanker and support ship, commanded by Captain Vikram Menon and INS Kamorta, commanded by Commander Manoj Kumar Jha.
“This visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing inter-operability between navies of the two friendly nations (India and Malaysia),” the navy said in a statement.
In preparation for June 21, officers of the defence ministry lined up in a South Block corridor this afternoon and were put through basic yoga postures under the supervision of an instructor deputed by the AYUSH ministry. A “rehearsal” is scheduled at Rajpath tomorrow for the event.
A senior defence ministry officer said participation in the event was “optional” and that there was no order. But he agreed that for government employees, participation was as “optional as breathing”.
The chiefs of the armed forces, the vice chiefs and about 15 officers of general and equivalent rank from each of the forces will also be participating in the event at Rajpath.
The government wants to enter the Guinness World Records with the achievement for maximum number of people doing yoga at the same time. To secure a place in Guinness, civilian participation will be necessary.
DD follows suit
Doordarshan is gearing up to turn the International Yoga Day programme on Rajpath this Sunday into a TV spectacle that dwarfs its Republic Day telecasts, the largest in scale and logistics so far. Presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 85-minute event will feature over 40,000 people performing yoga at a single site.
“We’ve always put in significant resources for important events like the Republic Day or the Independence Day. But covering 40,000 people will require more than we have ever deployed for any event,” a DD official said.
The Centre aims to break into the Guinness World Records with two entries – the largest number of people doing yoga at a venue and the mix of nationalities.
Around 400 foreigners from over 70 countries have been invited.
Besides Modi – who will only preside over and not perform – ministers, bureaucrats, diplomats and celebrities are expected to troop in, besides school and college students.
DD will marshal 24 high-definition cameras and a team of 120. On Republic Day this year, it had 20 cameras and a crew of about 100.
“Given the scale, it’s a challenge, but we hope to surpass the coverage of the Republic Day parade,” said A. Suryaprakash, chairman of Prasar Bharati, the public broadcaster that runs DD and AIR.
Operation Doga to sanitize Yoga event location!
Security agencies have launched an operation codenamed Doga, combining the words “dog” and “yoga”, by deploying trained canine squads to sanitise and secure the venue of the International Yoga Day event on Rajpath in New Delhi on June 21.
The operation is being spearheaded by the elite canine squad of Indo-Tibetan Border Police, official sources said.
The venue around India Gate and Rajpath is expected to draw close to 40,000 people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues.
The paramilitary force has put on job a special breed of Belgian Shepherd, “Malinois”, who had gained prominence across the world after they were reported to have participated in the US Navy SEAL strike that killed al Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
