Following is the text of Suo Motu Statement by External Affairs Minister and Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Smt. Sushma Swaraj on Adoption of June 21 as International Day of Yoga by 69^th Session of UN General Assembly in Lok Sabha, on December 15, 2014

Hon’ble Madam Speaker,

I rise with great pride as an Indian, to make a statement on the happy news that we all heard on late evening of Thursday; 11^th December - the adoption by the United Nations of India’s initiative to celebrate 21 June each year as the ‘International Day of Yoga’.

First and foremost, I would like to bring to the attention of this august House the unprecedented quantum of support that this personal initiative of our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, evoked at the United Nations.

In its annual calendar, UN has listed nearly 118 International Days/Years/Anniversaries for observance. On 11^th December, an unprecedented 177 out of the total 193 member states of the United Nations; joined-in as ‘co-sponsors’ to the resolution for ‘International Yoga Day’.

Madam Speaker, in the history of the United Nations, this is the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any Resolution of this nature. ‘Co-sponsorship’, quite simply, meant that these countries; not just supported India, but expressed their public willingness to own the initiative as well!

The list of co-sponsors was wide, all encompassing and a triumph of Indian diplomacy - from the P-5 to the Small Island States of the Pacific (with whom the Prime Minister interacted during his recent visit to Fiji); from the heart of Africa to nearly the whole of Europe; from most of our South Asian neighbours to our distant friends in the Caribbean and Latin America, all in one voice stood up in our support.

To me, this broad spectrum of cross regional support signifies two things- first, it is a reflection of the pan-global appeal of India’s rich cultural heritage; especially Yoga. While all of us may not be able to become Yogis, but by making Yoga an integral part of our everyday lives, we attain a unity of mind and body and a harmony with nature.

But more importantly, this outpouring of support and whole hearted embrace by the international community for the International Yoga Day signifies how India’s age old traditions are in harmony with what the world needs today. Yoga, as the Prime Minister so aptly said in New York, embodies the centuries old Indian message of harmony between man and nature. He said and I quote:

Yoga is an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.

Hon’ble Members, from the time Prime Minister Modi first formally initiated this proposal during his maiden address to the 69^th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 27^th September 2014, it took exactly 75 days for its formal adoption by the entire United Nations, last Friday, on the 11^th of December.  The speed and ease with which this proposal moved to final fruition, is a remarkable achievement in itself.

The sheer number of supporters as well as the smooth adoption also symbolizes the strong international support that the recent diplomatic endeavours of our government have evoked on the world stage. I would term these as a critical part of a new India’s ‘breakthrough diplomacy’. From ‘Make in India’ to ‘Swachh Bharat’ and now - the ‘International Yoga Day’- they are all small steps in our journey to ensure a vibrant, happy and prosperous India, whose imprint and influence are felt far beyond our own shores. Major Yoga organizations from different parts of the world have already welcomed this proposal whole-heartedly.

Prior to this, United Nations, in 2007, had adopted India’s resolution to observe 2^nd October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi as the International Day of Non-Violence. Taken together, the International Day of Non Violence as well as the International Day of Yoga, uniquely highlight India’s contribution to the international community. The essence of these two initiatives is to emphasize the holistic nature of our world, or as we say in Sanskrit- “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”; ‘the entire world is one family’. I would go as far as to say that they epitomize the ‘Indian way’- a constructive approach focused on finding peaceful solutions to global challenges; that are in harmony with our environment.

As I said in the Lok Sabha on 3^rd December; “Our pursuit of global aspirations has been accompanied by global engagement”. Madam Speaker, the ‘International Yoga Day’ is a rich accomplishment of our government’s unwavering commitment to global diplomatic engagement. I assure my fellow Parliamentarians that we will continue to exhibit the same unflagging resolve to engage with the world in the days ahead.

While on one hand, we consistently advocate a proactive and innovative approach for making India and the greater South Asian region more prosperous, at the same time, we are thinking and acting on new measures to project India’s soft power- the unparalleled cultural richness, diversity and uniqueness of India and its people.

Thank you.

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 YSKataria