Centre skips Tamil Nadu in yoga

Chennai: Tamil Nadu has been ignored as the Union HRD Ministry has decided to set up yoga departments in six Central Universities — Hemwati Nandan Bahugana Garhwal University, Uttarakhand, Viswa Bharti, West Bengal, Central University of Rajasthan, Central University of Kerala, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, Madya Pradesh, and Manipur University. The state has a huge population of yoga practitioners — from little school kids to the aged, such as the nonagenarian DMK president M. Karunanidhi.

“We are terribly disappointed. Such a move would have helped Tamil Nadu get world-class facilities in the teaching, practising and propagation of this ancient Indian system of healing and wellbeing. Our government should push for the inclusion of Tamil Nadu”, says Dr Asana Andiappan, a highly accomplished yogi of international repute.

The institution could also help in standardisation of yoga methods as there have been innumerable schools and masters propounding yoga in different styles and methods.

This would help in regularisation of the degrees or diplomas awarded to the students. “It is very difficult to run a yoga institute here, unlike in the US where the students voluntarily come forward to learn yoga and in the process pay hefty sums. Teaching yoga there is a lucrative profession. The Narendra Modi government is doing so much for yoga… the efforts should percolate to Tamil Nadu, as well,” this noted yoga guru at Chennai told Deccan Chronicle.
Considering that the DMK has been crying foul over the NDA’s keenness on spreading the learning of Sanskrit, there are also some who feel the HRD Ministry might have chosen to skip Tamil Nadu so as to avoid similar controversies.

“If (HRD minister) Smriti Irani had planned a yoga institution for Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi would have clung on to it for months as a potential political issue, writing statements and editorials, even organising agitations. He would call it yet another attempt by the BJP to saffronise his Dravidian land”, said BJP senior M. Chakravarthy. “I hope the Central Institute is set up in our state. Young people like me will benefit very much,” said Mohan S. Chennai yoga student.