From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
British High Commissioner to Nigeria Catriona Laing and the Chairman of Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, participated in 7th International Day of Yoga held at the Indian High Commission in Abuja on Saturday.
The event drew together members of the diplomatic corps, heads of Indian community organizations, friends of India and Indian nationals in Nigeria.
While the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, was represented by the Director, Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Abumere Akhidenor, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, was represented by the Director/Head of Department, Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines (TCAM), Federal Ministry of Health, Hajiya Zainab Sharif.
In his remarks, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Abhay Thakur, said this year’s International Day of Yoga is being held under the shadow of the COVID-19 global pandemic, adding that the theme of this year’s Yoga Day, ‘Yoga for Wellness,’ is especially relevant.
Thakur recalled the letter written to President Muhammadu Buhari and select world leaders on the occasion by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi.
In the letter, the Indian Prime Minister said: ‘Yoga has many benefits for the body as well as the mind. Despite all the efforts and precautions, COVID-19 may infect any person. However, a strong immune system can aid in the fight against it. Yoga can help build that immunity, for instance, through breathing exercises that strengthen the lungs. At the same time, across the world, millions of people have been forced to stay indoors for months. This has taken a toll on their mental health as well. Regular practice of Yoga can also help them recover.’
Modi further said: ‘Yoga has an inherent power to connect. Yoga is good for community, immunity, and unity. The theme of International Day of Yoga celebrations this year reflects the concern for the good health and well-being of people across the globe. It is an endeavour to ensure that we focus on fitness, as well as wellness.’
Thakur further disclosed that in partnership with Africa, the Government of India will be holding an International Conference on June 21 and 22, with the theme “Ubuntu and Yoga”.
Thakur also disclosed that the conference will focus on universal wellbeing and commonalities between indigenous knowledge system of Africa and ancient Yoga traditions of India.
‘We believe that by bringing the two ancient and powerful cultures of India and Africa together, we will build upon and further refine our respective traditional cures for modern health hazards like COVID-19, diabetes and mental health, and serve the health needs of our large populations at an affordable cost.
‘Today, I would like to thank the Federal Government of the Republic of Nigeria for its support to the International Yoga Day celebrations. The Ministry of Sports had graciously made available the MKO Abiola stadium for this event, like they did two years ago in 2019, but owing to prevailing conditions, we decided to hold the event with a relatively smaller number of friends and well wishers in the mission premises.
‘I am particularly grateful that the representative of the Hon’ble Sports Minister has joined us today. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Health, which has been our steadfast partner for promoting and sharing experience of traditional medicine and wellness in Nigeria. I thank the leading Indian Ayurveda and herbal products company, Dabur, for promoting and indigenizing traditional products of both India and Africa, in Nigeria. I thank SkipperSeil, which is as much an Indian as a Nigerian company, well established in the power sector for decades, for sponsoring the Yoga T-shirts and mats. I thank our Yoga Masters, Mr Akshay Jain and Mr Basant Ram who have conducted the yoga protocol today. As always, the support of the Indian Cultural Association, Abuja has been invaluable. And I would be amiss if I do not mention my own mission team members, who have worked diligently to put together today’s event and make it success,’ Thakur said.
To ensure that the underlying ideas for the event were not lost due to language barrier, Thakur reiterated that Yoga meant to join or to unite, while Ayurveda meant the science of life.
He also explained that “Namaste” means ‘I bow to you, while Ubuntu is the African philosophy of humanity towards all.
‘The COVID-19 pandemic has once again shown to us that all of humanity will either swim together or sink together. Today is a day when we rededicate ourselves to sharing and uniting in each other’s joys and sorrows, and to finding sustainable solutions to our problems. And, in a lighter vein, also spreading this message on social media not by tweeting, but by “Kooing,” on the Indian App “Koo,” which is the sound of the sweetest of the Indian birds, the Koyal or the Indian nightingale,’ Thakur concluded.