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By endorsing yoga, has the UN put Indian Muslims on the mat?

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Nadim Asrar
Nadim AsrarJun 19, 2015 | 20:29

By endorsing yoga, has the UN put Indian Muslims on the mat?

There was a report yesterday on the United Nations losing its capability to tackle pressing contemporary issues, like massive violence in fragile states to runaway climate change and global economic shocks. The high-profile commission on global security, justice and governance, co-chaired by former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, issued a series of proposals aimed at reforming the UN, strengthening cooperation at all levels of society to deal with these challenges, and putting greater focus on preventing conflicts and restoring peace to countries emerging from violence.

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"Our small, dense, interconnected world cannot prosper if more than a billion inhabitants fail to cross a basic threshold for a safe, dignified life, or if rising sea levels, extreme drought, powerful floods and storm surges, trafficking gangs, and networks of violent extremists threaten the security, well being, and survival of millions," the 158-page report said. "World leaders must grapple with new ways to approach 21st century threats posed by climate change, conflict and cross-border economic shocks," Albright added.

As the United Nations prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary later this year, one of the questions that it must address is the naiveté it has perhaps displayed in declaring June 21 as the International Yoga Day. While there is nothing wrong in an ancient Indian practice finding global endorsement (it is already a multi-million dollar industry in the US and elsewhere), it is beyond comprehension that the decision was taken without considering the profile of the man who had proposed it: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

There is a reason why Modi was an outcaste in the UK and some other countries for nearly a decade, or denied the US visa. There is a reason why multiple cases against him were filed by human rights and diaspora Indian groups in various courts in Europe and the US. Even after his landslide victory in May last year, he remains a divisive figure with his studied silence on right-wing politicians and non-elected state players pursuing an aggressive Hindutva agenda. Has the UN taken note of anti-Muslim groups in Europe now finding a new role model in Modi and thinking of inviting him to their infamous rallies?

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Yoga, like education, culture and economy in the current dispensation, falls within the same agenda. It is again naive for those in power to argue the ancient practice is being promoted for its health and lifestyle value. This sanitised version of yoga comes with a distinct stamp, and it has saffron written all over. Can the Muslim and other progressive groups sceptical of the June 21 event be really blamed for what they see as another instance of majoritarian bullying disguised as a national project?

Consider the recent rumblings. As soon as the yoga project was announced, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia said the use of word "Allah" during the exercise will not be acceptable to Hindus. Another poster boy of the regime, BJP MP Adityanath, said those opposed to the event should drown in the sea or leave India. Not to be left behind, another favourite, Sakshi Maharaj, called himself a "true Muslim" and Prophet Muhammad a "great yogi". Yoga mascot Ramdev was seen holding a yoga camp with a Muslim cleric by his side.

Rattled by the rhetoric, a host of prominent Muslim organisations, including Darul Uloom Deoband, the largest Islamic seminary in Asia, and the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind said it has no problem with yoga in public programmes, schools or colleges. Ajmer Dargah mentors and others followed suit. The intention was simple: There is no annoying the Narendra Modi regime. They know the Muslims of Atali have yet not returned home (despite official claims to the contrary), or a Vadodara, Trilokpuri or Muzaffarpur can be replicated anywhere across India. They know that violence is intrinsic to the political project that dreams of a Hindu India.

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An advertisement starring Hema Malini is on our TV channels now. It shows a still-telegenic actor and BJP MP telling us how yoga has "nurtured and enriched" her life. "Practice yoga to live life to its full potential," she concludes. Life. Potential. Words that Indian Muslims encounter in their mind space every day. Is Modi, sitting cross-legged on his yoga mat in deep meditation, even listening?

Last updated: June 19, 2015 | 20:29
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