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United Nations declares June 21 as 'International Day of Yoga'

posted Dec 11, 2014, 10:52 AM by Law Kerala   [ updated Dec 11, 2014, 11:08 AM ]

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The United Nations General Assembly yesterday adopted an India-led resolution declaring June 21 as 'International Day of Yoga'. This comes less than three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea.

The decision is being seen as a huge diplomatic win for India. 170 nations had supported Modi's proposal. European Union president Herman Van Rompuy had also told Modi in November that the 28-member EU supported his idea for a Yoga Day at the UN.

The draft resolution would recognise that "yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being," echoing Modi's remarks to the annual General Assembly session in September.

It is also for the first time that such an initiative has been proposed and implemented by any country in the UN body in less than 90 days.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the world community to celebrate Indian yoga at the international level during his visit to the United Nations in September this year. 

In his speech at the UNGA, Modi had said, 

"Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day. Yoga is an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature."

In his message on the passage of the resolution, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said in declaring 21 June the International Day of Yoga, the General Assembly has brought attention to the holistic benefits of the ancient practice on health and well-being in the modern world. 

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