'Teaching yoga is not saffronisation'

He was speaking after inaugurating the Bangalore regional level yogasana competition for boys and girls between 14 and 17 years of age. The competition was organised on Thursday at the T Chennayya Rangamandira in the city by the Public Education Department in coordination with the Zilla Panchayat.

Self-control

Yoga is an ancient practice of India. A person who controls his five senses leads a satisfactory life. Such control is possible through yoga, said Narayanaswamy.

Inculcating high morals, social concern and thoughts is more important than knowledge from just books. By practising yoga, students can improve their thinking, behaviour and personality greatly, he added.

Hundreds of youngsters from Bangalore rural, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Kolar, Madhugiri, Ramanagar, Shimoga and Tumkur had competed in the yoga competition. The Public Education Department and the Zilla Panchayat had made facilities for food and stay of the participants.

Last year’s national champions Suman Narayan and Priyanka presented various yogasanas on the stage.

Narayanaswamy presented an award of Rs 10 thousand each to both the yoga athletes.

Paika sports meet

Speaking about the paika sports meet in the city that started from Wednesday, the Minister said the athletes who participate in the sports meet should be taken care of very well. “They should speak highly of the good treatment they received when competing in the sports meet in Kolar, so that when our students visit their places, the treatment is reciprocated,” he said.

The Deccan Herald had carried a story on physical trainers not participating in the paika meet organised on Wednesday in the Visvesvaraya Stadium.

Zilla Panchayat member Balaji Chennayya, Deputy Commissioner N Prabhakar, Additional DC Babanna, Sub-divisional Officer Peddappaiah, A M Kunjappa, Additional District Security Officer Bhagavandas, Prahlad Gowda, Anjaneya Reddy, City Municipal Council president Nazia Begum, vice-president Murali Gowda, N Lakshmayya were present for the inauguration programme.