International Yoga Day to “Unite Individuals, Society, Country”; PM Modi

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, drove home the importance of yoga today, to mark the occasion of International Yoga Day. Citing the marking of this day to honour yoga globally, he said, “In fact, Yoga Day has become one of the biggest mass movements in the quest for good health and well-being.” Addressing a gathering assembled for the occasion of the fourth year that this day is being observed, in the capital city of Uttarakhand state, Dehradun, he added that yoga was a “unifying force” that would help bring people together at all levels of society, from the family on up to the community and the nation as a whole, and even internationally. In an earlier display of the prowess of this form of exercise, the Prime Minister was seen on TV going through a series of positions and movements, possibly in an attempt to set the tone for this event.

Being thanked by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat, for deciding to hold this main event and to grace it with his presence, the Chief Minister also made a special note of the fact that it will help to boost tourism to his state. This was the first time that this event was hosted in Uttarakhand. In the three years prior to this, going all the way back to the beginning of his term as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi hosted this event in cities in north India, starting with the national capital New Delhi in 2015, Chandigarh in 2016, and Lucknow in 2017.