Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Jun 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted the role of yoga beyond personal health, saying the ancient Indian practice can act as a catalyst for global peace and harmony amid growing conflicts and tensions across the world.
Addressing the 12th International Day of Yoga celebrations at the iconic Red Road in Kolkata, where thousands participated, Modi said yoga teaches the importance of balance in life and helps individuals achieve physical and mental well-being.
Quoting the Bhagavad Gita, the Prime Minister said a balanced lifestyle involving work, food and sleep is essential to overcome suffering, and yoga guides people towards achieving that balance.
“Most people are struggling to maintain that balance in their modern lifestyle. Yoga teaches us the art of living our lives in a balanced manner,” Modi said, adding that when people learn to manage their bodies correctly, health becomes a habit.
Emphasising that yoga is not limited to physical exercise, Modi said it connects mental well-being with physical fitness and helps build inner peace.
“The consciousness of identifying the dos and don'ts not only brings inner peace, it opens up the path to world peace. That’s why yoga is not only required for our personal lifestyles, it is essential for a better future of this world,” he said.
The Prime Minister urged people not to restrict yoga to a single day or event but make it a part of daily life for themselves, their families and future generations.
He said June 21, which marks the longest day of the year, has now become the world’s largest community celebration because of yoga, bringing together people across countries and cultures.
Highlighting this year’s theme, “Yoga for Healthy Ageing,” Modi said yoga plays an important role in improving physical health, mental well-being and quality of life across all age groups.
“Yoga is not just physical exercise. It is not restricted to any age group. It is an expression of the human spirit,” he said.
Modi stressed that healthy ageing should focus on ensuring that increasing age does not reduce human potential.
“Our target is to be more flexible at 40 than we were at 20. We aim to be more energetic at 50 than we were at 30. Our target must be to be more resistant to lifestyle-related diseases at 70 than we were at 50. This is where yoga can help us,” he added.
The Prime Minister said a healthy society makes a nation more capable, powerful and confident.
Referring to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Modi said the true essence of humanity lies in connecting with the world around us. He added that the fundamental idea of yoga is connectivity and when it becomes part of life, it becomes a symbol of human unity.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, addressing the gathering, credited Modi for taking yoga to the global stage and said the tradition has been practised in Bengal for more than a century.
Adhikari said organisations and institutions across the state registered around 2.57 lakh participants for the event. He expressed confidence that more than one crore people across West Bengal would participate in yoga celebrations.
The event marked the first large-scale International Day of Yoga programme in Kolkata, with participation from thousands of yoga enthusiasts.