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Yoga’s soft power reigns at UN during Modi’s US visit
Modi reminded the audience, as did the UNGA president, that India had proposed marking June 21 as the International Day of Yoga nine years ago
In a grand display of India’s soft power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday, and described yoga as a “truly universal” and unifying force across ethnicities, faiths and cultures.
The UN north lawns, overlooking the Hudson river, turned into a sea of white with an estimated 2,000 people representing around 135 nationalities joined Modi, the UN General Assembly president Csaba Korosi and the New York mayor Eric Adams in performing yoga. The participation of the most number of nationalities in a single yoga session hit the Guinness Book of World Records, and the Prime Minister hailed this unprecedented coming together of people from across the world.
“Yoga comes from India. It is a very old tradition. But it is living and dynamic. Yoga is free from copyright, from patents, from royalty payments. Yoga is adaptable to your age, gender and fitness level. Yoga is portable — you can do it at home or work or in transit. Yoga is flexible — you can practice it alone or in a group, learn from somewhere or be self taught. It is unifying, for all ethnicities, faiths, cultures. Yoga is truly universal. When we do Yoga, we feel physically fit, mentally calm and emotionally content,” Modi said, speaking in English.
The exercises were led by Annelies Richmond, a yoga trainer and the director of Art of Living, US. Among others present at the event were UN’s deputy secretary general Amina Mohammed, actor Richard Gere, award-winning chef Vikas Khanna, Grammy winner Ricky Kej, and a host of US corporate leaders, military veterans, television personalities, Yoga practitioners and teachers, and members of the Indian diaspora.
But the event was as much about India showcasing its leadership in multiple domains.
Modi reminded the audience, as did the UNGA president, that India had proposed marking June 21 as the International Day of Yoga nine years ago. “It was wonderful to see the entire world come together to support the idea back then,” he said.
On peacekeeping, with India contributing the highest number of troops among all countries to UN forces, Modi said he had in 2015 spoken of building a memorial in honour of those who had given up their lives. “In 2015, I had called for a new memorial at UN in their memory. Last week, the whole world joined hands to make this reality soon. As the largest troop contributing nation, we are grateful to all nations for their support.”
And last year, Modi said, the whole world came together to support India’s proposal to mark 2023 as the International Year of Millets. “Millets are a superfood, they promote holistic health and are good for the environment.”
Returning to the theme of yoga, Modi said that it was not just about an exercise on a mat. “Yoga is a way of life. It is a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is way to bring mindfulness in thought and action. It is a way to live in harmony with self, with others and with nature.”
Expressing his happiness that many were working on scientifically validating different aspects of yoga, Modi urged everyone to use the power of yoga to be kind to oneself, to each other, and to nature; to build bridges of friendship and peace; to build a cleaner and more sustainable future; and to build “one earth, one family and one future” — the last is the theme of India’s G20 presidency.
Adams, the influential New York mayor, said an individual had two mothers — one who gave birth, one who sustained. “Yoga keeps us connected to both mothers and to each other.”
In a video message, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said Yoga offered a “haven of calm”, reduced anxiety, promoted well-being, helped develop discipline and patience and connected people to the planet “which so badly needs our protection”.
Explaining how yoga diplomacy had become a part of India’s soft power, Harsh Pant of New Delhi’s Observer Research Foundation (ORF) said, “The global acceptance of Yoga Day is a testament to both Modi’s effective leadership on the issue and India’s growing global clout. This has allowed India to shape its soft power in ways that were not anticipated a few years back.”
Pant said this was an interesting exercise that showed how soft power can be wielded and how it intersected with a country’s strategic rise.
After the New York leg of his visit, Modi arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday afternoon eastern time for the official state visit. The US administration, particularly the White House, has gone all out in welcoming him with both ceremony and substance.
He was expected, later on Wednesday, to attend an event on knowledge and skilling with First Lady Jill Biden at the National Science Foundation, followed by a private dinner with President Joe Biden and the First Lady at the White House. On Thursday morning, Modi is set to receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House, with thousands of Indian-Americans expected to join, if the weather permits.
After bilateral talks with Biden and his team, the Prime Minister will head to the US Congress to address a joint meeting of the Senate and House before returning to White House for a state dinner. But along with the symbolism, as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told HT in an interview, the visit will be marked by substantive outcomes in the domains of defence, technology, economy and help deepen people to people ties.
