Sena's 'praise-asana' for Modi: What's wrong with commodifying yoga?

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for successfully carrying out the Yoga  Day celebrations in Delhi, ally Shiv Sena today said 'commodifying' Yoga will not harm the ancient practice, instead it will increase tourism and generate employment.

"The Prime Minister says that yoga should not be used as some sort of business. What can we say about it? The PM considers himself a trader. He has said time and again that he is a Gujarati and thus trade is in his blood. If yoga can be marketed across the world, and... increases Yoga tourism, nobody should have a problem with it," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana.

Modi had on Sunday cautioned against "commodifying" yoga, saying using it as some sort of business will do great damage to this world heritage. "If we  make yoga a commodity, then maximum damage to it will be done by us. Yoga is not a commodity, yoga is not a brand which has to be sold," he had said.

"Yoga tourism will definitely increase the number of people visiting the country and enhanced tourism will generate employment along with increasing our foreign reserves. If we can think of other 'days' that are celebrated through the United Nations as a means to do business, why not Yoga Day?" it asked.

The Sena said the kind of response the Yoga Day celebrations evoked only proves that once Modi resolves to do something, he does it whole-heartedly. "When he first launched the Gram Swacchata Abhiyaan, he took a broom in his hand and the whole government rallied behind him to do the same. Then, on International Yoga Day, he laid down a mattress on the ground and everybody did the same. This shows when he takes a resolve, he completes it whole-heartedly," it said.

"Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's The Art of Living had recently started a meditation course for farmers of Vidarbha committing suicide. If other farmers too are taught yoga, their lifestyles will be enhanced. Even people who are addicted to alcohol should be taught yoga so that they can come out of their addiction and improve their lives," it added.  

Image: PM Modi sits in Vajrasana at Rajpath on Yoga Day/PIB