Opposition in N-E

Even as the nation prepares to celebrate International Day of Yoga on June 21, across Northeast India several bodies have asked people not to take part in the event. 

In Mizoram, the Church has appealed to the people not to observe the day. In Manipur and Assam other tribal frontal organisations and many religious minority organisations have given a call to not observe the day and avoid any sort of forceful participation. The United Nations General Assembly had declared June 21 as International Yoga Day on December 11 last year.

In Mizoram, the Church vehemently opposed the holding of the International Yoga of Yoga on June 21 since it is Sunday and in the Christian dominated state almost everyone attend church service on a Sunday. 

All the political parties in Mizoram including the ruling Congress have also supported the appeal from the Church not to observe the day, and oppose the appeal made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the nation.

The Mizoram government is however tight-lipped about the its stand on the appeal from the Church. 

Similar reports of Church appeals have come in from Christian dominated Meghalaya and Nagaland as well.

Some other minority based organisations in Assam have also raised the issue of physical stress on minorities who would participate owing to the month of Ramzan.

The Assam state unit of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind is also opposed to the idea. In Manipur some ethnic organisations are against the idea of performing Surya Namaskar during Yoga.