Chandigarh, May 28 (PTI) — Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced on Wednesday that the state will launch the initiative “Yoga Yukt Haryana-Nasha Mukt Haryana” on June 21, coinciding with International Yoga Day. The campaign supports the vision of a “Swasth Bharat-Swasth Haryana” (Healthy India-Healthy Haryana).
The program aims to fight drug addiction by promoting the positive effects of yoga, Saini said. As part of the celebrations, the state will plant 10 lakh saplings to encourage environmental conservation under the theme of “Green Yoga.”
A special online portal has been created for registrations, with the goal of involving 10 lakh participants across Haryana, the Chief Minister added.
On June 21, a major event will be held in Kurukshetra to mark the 11th International Yoga Day. Around one lakh people are expected to take part in the state-level gathering.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev is set to attend the event, Saini shared after a meeting to finalize preparations. Officials from the AYUSH department and other relevant departments also attended the meeting.
Saini reminded that the United Nations declared June 21 as International Yoga Day, a decision supported by 177 countries due to efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said yoga is more than just physical exercise. It is a way of life inspired by ancient sages who practiced penance and self-realization. The Chief Minister stressed the need to create an environment where everyone adopts yoga daily.
Besides the state-level event, district-level celebrations will be held throughout Haryana. Programs will also take place in all 121 blocks of the state, according to plans made by the AYUSH department.
This year’s theme for International Yoga Day is “Yoga for One Earth, One Health.”
Leading up to Yoga Day, Haryana will host various activities such as yoga marathons, ‘Yoga Jagran Yatra’, and training sessions from Wednesday until June 21. A cleanliness drive, or ‘Swachhata’, will be combined with these yoga events.
Three-day yoga training sessions will be organized in all schools, colleges, and universities. Similar sessions will also be held for ministers, MPs, MLAs, officers, government employees, and other public representatives, the Chief Minister said.
He called on citizens to celebrate Yoga Day as a ‘Yoga Mahotsav’ by practicing yoga in parks, stadiums, rooftops, or any open space. He encouraged everyone to spread the message of health and wellness worldwide.
The Haryana government is committed to bringing yoga into every household and making the state a yoga-empowered region, Saini concluded.
