Observe International Yog Day on June 21 with full honour to ‘Om’

International Yog Day- June 21

Upananda Brahmachari | HENB | Haridwar | April 18, 2015:: For making an utter humiliation of  Yog philosophy in the name of common man’s choice in a country where religious symbolism often attracts high-voltage political controversies, Modi Govt is dropping all references to ‘Om’ — the traditional mystical invocation related to Hindu spirituality and yoga practice — in its coming high-powered promotion of this ancient discipline. Modi is doing this while a major world is practicing Yog with ‘Om’, this venture of Modi will bring a certain curse to his fate.

From a media source it is known form a source of a senior official involved in the government’s extensive preparations to celebrate the June 21 International Yoga Day that the a new protocol is coming to keep the effort “free of controversy”. “Therefore, there will be no reference to ‘Aum’ in the 33-minute Common Yoga Protocol that’s been prepared by the department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy), as well as all literature and video being prepared for the June 21 Global celebration. Linkages with religion may just undermine this ambitious effort”.

The PMO has to be kept in mind that the idea of the International Yoga Day is to take yoga to the global stage, a top government official involved in preparations elaborated the cause of eliminating Aum for Govt’s Yog Protocol.

Seeing all these, I am in some confusion whether the Narendra Modi will close the door of Kashi Vishwanath Temple for the promotion of secular tourism in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency from where he reached to the chair of PM-ship in Delhi!.

The Modi government’s decision is very much embarrassing not only in the light of Modi’s backwardness in recent religion-related political controversies but also global debates about yoga’s ‘religious’ identity. Modi may fear the same court battles have been fought in the US over whether yoga propagates religion, but he could keep in his mind the Court verdict that, “yoga does not violate religious freedom“. Though the Yog discipline’s growing popularity is universal and abundant, the question of so called secularisation and the minority appeasement could not be avoided by the Modi Govt in this connection too.

Om or Aum is essential for Yog as per Patañjali Yoga Sūtrā. Rishi Patañjali is the Master of this Yog Darshan (Philosophy) and obviously, not Mr Modi. He and his disciples can introduce his new ‘Modi Yog’ or ‘Mpdi Joke’  like NaMo NaMo mantra (chanting), but stop this humiliation of Rishi Patañjali and his crores of followers in India and abroad.

As per Patañjali Yoga Sūtrā, Om is the omnipresent power and enlightenment in which one can attend the self realisation and universal perseverance. As per Samādhi-Pāda of Yoga Sūtrā, OM is a symbol for ishvara. Repetition of OM (with this meaning) leads to contemplation. Through this practice, the immutable self is revealed and all obstacles are removed to reach the goal of Yog. [Vide Samādhi-Pāda 27-29].

But, what is this Modi and his men doing here? Who gave them the authority to curtail ‘Om’ from Yog?

पतञ्जलि योग सूत्रानि

Patañjali Yoga Sūtrāni

समाधिपाद

Samādhi-Pāda

तस्य वाचकः प्रणवः ॥२७॥ tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ ||27|| OM is a symbol for ishvara. ||27||

तज्जपः तदर्थभावनम् ॥२८॥ taj-japaḥ tad-artha-bhāvanam ||28|| Repetition of OM (with this meaning) leads to contemplation. ||28||

ततः प्रत्यक्चेतनाधिगमोऽप्यन्तरायाभवश्च ॥२९॥ tataḥ pratyak-cetana-adhigamo-‘py-antarāya-abhavaś-ca ||29|| Through this practice, the immutable self is revealed and all obstacles (antaraya) are removed. ||29||

One may not understand all these things as per their receptibility. But, why the Modi Govt. is banning ‘Om’ from its practice so purportedly.

Another thing stuck us to hear that the ‘Minus Om Yog protocol’ was prepared in consultation with Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev and various Yog institutions in India. It is hard to believe all these and I have every suspect whether the Modi Govt is manipulating something for his mission without any obstruction bogey. I am to personally write to Sri Sri, Baba Ramdev, Sadguru and UN to have their opinion.

Now, the government of India plans to issue a special postal stamp bearing the image of yoga posture indicating the integration of the five elements. The same logo is likely to be adopted by UN for the international day of yoga. The slogan likely to go with the logo will be – ‘Yoga for Harmony and Peace’. Indian missions and culture centres all over the world will host the 33-minute Common Yoga Protocol, starting 8 am of June 21. There are plans to host this — starting 7 am — across India as well, in schools and government departments and security forces. And the government is approaching Guinness Book of World Records as well as Limca Book of Records to enlist June 21 celebrations as the biggest multi-venue yoga practice ever. But, all these will happen in Modi Govt’s utmost endeavour to scrapping ‘Om’ in Yog Day and its Yog programmes.

But. Modi Govt can be sure that all the real Yog lovers will participate in June 21 International day with ‘Om’ symbols in India and abroad both.  My Christian, Jews, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Yazdi, Bahai, Ahamadiya, Bhora and even a section of Muslims friends have no objection to Om, but my Modi icon is scrapping Om for the fear of 10% Sunni of the world. This is not a shame for the Indians only. This is an Humiliation of ‘Om’ in the hand of Radical Islam. Mr Modi is allowing himself as an essential tool of that Jihadi Radicalism. The matter of fact is that as TROP* may take offense, Modi is dropping ‘OM’ from Yoga.

Stop such pressure and radicalism of Islam. Observe International Yog day on June 21 for Harmony and Peace with Om.

‘Om’ has its universal rights to all. Modi can’t cease it under his whim or whip.

[*TROP = The Religion of Piece].

Source: WHN Media Network