No yoga for you, you're Muslim: Modi sarkar's bigotry exposed

The Narendra Modi-led central government, it appears, does not even want to maintain the facade of remaining "secular" despite all claims of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas". In response to an RTI query, the government does not shy away from blatantly confessing that as a matter of "government policy", no Muslim candidate was invited or selected for assignments by a ministry of the central government, despite the fact, that a large number of Muslim candidates had applied for the job.

An RTI response by the Ministry of AYUSH has drawn the International Yoga Day - and the BJP government - into yet another controversy. In response to the application filed by a freelance journalist, the ministry has accepted, "As per government policy - no Muslim candidate was invited, selected or sent abroad," during International Yoga Day 2015.

Journalist Pushp Sharma had filed an RTI application enquiring from the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) on the number of Muslim trainers who had applied and were sent abroad for short-term assignments during World Yoga Day 2015. Sharma has himself reported on what he termed as "blunt and clear" response from the AYUSH Ministry in the Milli Gazette. The copy of the RTI response has also been uploaded along with the article. DailyO has not verified the document independently.

June 21 was declared as International Yoga Day in December 2014 by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) after India's effort to popularise the ancient Indian practice around the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken personal interest declaring yoga as "a holistic approach to health and well-being" during his address at the UNGA in September 2014.

Consequently, in 2015, the inaugural International Yoga Day was celebrated across 192 countries, including 44 Islamic countries. It, however, drew its share of controversy as well from the beginning due to reports of several schools, colleges and offices making it mandatory for its students and staffs to participate in the gala event.

Muslim groups were particularly agitated against what they termed as imposition of Hindu practices of Surya Namaskar and chanting of shlokas. Shripad Naik, Minister for AYUSH had then clarified that "bowing to the Sun" is not compulsory and one can chant the name of Allah even instead of reciting Hindu religious verses. In fact, to avoid any such controversy and "for easy asanas (exercise)" which can be performed by anyone Surya Namaskar was not made part of the common yoga protocol.

Pointing that the event will be organised at several Islamic countries, the government has maintained that yoga is a part of Indian tradition, but must not be seen as a purely Hindu religious practice.

Pushp Sharma had filed the RTI application seeking answers to two pointed questions:

1. "Request to "provide the details, how many (total numbers) Muslim candidates had applied for short-term abroad assignment (Trainer/Teacher) during World Yoga Day 2015?"

2. "How many Muslims applied for the post of Yoga Trainer/Teacher so far?"

Under secretary SD Sharma responded to the RTI query, dated October 8, 2015, noting that overall a total of 3,841 Muslim candidates had applied till date (October 2015) for the post of yoga trainer/teacher; adding that not a single one was selected. It further said that a total of 711 Muslim candidates had applied specifically for short-term abroad assignment during the World Yoga Day 2015, adding tersely, "As per government policy - no Muslim candidate was invited, selected or sent abroad."

The RTI response also has a list of 26 names of "selected yoga teachers for assignment abroad." It does not have a single non-Hindu sounding names - certainly not a single Muslim - giving credence to the flagrant confession by a senior bureaucrat of the central government.

Is this the "sabka saath, sabka vikas" PM Modi had promised? Barring Muslim candidates from any government assignments simply because of his religious faith, that too as a matter of government policy is a clear communal overture, and contravenes our Constitution which makes its amply clear that no discrimination shall be made based on religion, caste or gender.

Unless of course, the current ruling dispensation, agrees that yoga indeed is a Hindu ritual and hence Muslim trainers should not be allowed.

Editor's Note:

PIB issued a press note stating that it condemns the misreporting of facts and the circulation of a fake RTI, which carried fabricated, factually incorrect contents. It tweeted:

Clarification regarding RTI of Shri Pushp Sharma https://t.co/99BXEpqNMs

— PIB India (@PIB_India) March 12, 2016