Surya namaskar, yoga compulsory in BMC schools

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday passed a proposal making yoga and surya namaskar mandatory

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday passed a proposal making yoga and surya namaskar mandatory in all civic schools, including 400 Urdu-medium institutions.

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Surya namaskar or salutation to the Sun God is a set of 12 sequential yoga asanas or postures. The BMC runs 1,188 primary and 49 secondary schools in Mumbai. While the Congress and SP suggested amendments to the plan, BJP corporator Vinod Shelar said opposing yoga is like supporting Pakistan, leading to a furore. Even as the Sena remained mum during the discussion, the proposal was passed after a discussion on a notice of motion mooted by BJP corporator Samita Kamble to improve the health of students using traditional practices. The civic body has 4.85 lakh students in primary schools and 55,000 in secondary sections.

The SP took staunch opposition and demanded the word, surya namaskar, be deleted from the proposal, apart from making it optional for schools. Rais Shaikh, an SP corporator, said, “After entering our kitchens, the BJP wants to play with young minds too. Surya namaskar is a form of Hindu worship, a religious practice, and cannot be enforced on any child. We should not mix education and religion.”

Shaikh argued the party will bring in a proposal where children will be taught to say “As-salamu allaykum”, a greeting in Arabic which means, peace be on you, if the proposal is passed. He lashed out saying surya namaskar entails bowing before the Sun god, while Islam does not permit a Muslim to “bow in front of anyone but Allah.”

Congress leader Mohsin Haider said proposals that “disturb the secular fabric” of the house should not be entertained. “The corporation allows the mayor to stop discussions on proposals that have a religious tone and can create a divide. Instead, we should try to improve the quality of education in civic schools,” Haider said.

The discussion also included references to the upcoming BMC elections and vote-bank politics played by the BJP and SP. Corporators alleged the BJP is trying to saffronise education, both, in the Centre and states, by introducing such proposals.

BJP corporators, however, argued that surya namaskar is a tenet of yoga and does not have any religious colour. Dilip Patel, a BJP corporator, said, “Yoga is an internationally accepted form of exercise. Bringing in religion is SP’s political tactic.”

Ritu Tawde, former education committee chairman and BJP corporator, said, “Surya namaskar is a form of meditation. It will help children progress, both mentally and physically.”

The notice of motion will be sent to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta, who will send it to the state government with his comments.”