New Delhi: The AYUSH Ministry is struggling to implement its idea of a "Yoga League".
Sources in the ministry told News 18 that an 'Expression of Interest' tender was floated couple of months ago on holding the Yoga League, with a deadline of October 22 for submitting offers.
There were roughly 80 respondents, of which eight were selected. Presentations were made last Tuesday but the concept turned out to be much more demanding than expected.
The source in the ministry said, "The committee has been formed to look into the Yoga League, some presentations were made but there is lot of problem in finding a thread that can unite League with Yoga. Having an IPL and Football League is workable – there are two teams and there is a clear winner. But in Yoga what do we do to go with League idea? Some parties have suggested taking ideas from marathons, India's got talent, Indian idol. There is nothing clear as to how this will proceed -it is not what we do in kabaddi and cricket. This is Yoga."
For a league, we need referee, coach, schedule, stats, rules, sponsors, winners, prizes, players and in Yoga things are different, the source said.
The two contrasting concepts were brought together to popularise the activity among youth to "awaken them to the intangible heritage of the country with some element of zing".
The Narendra Modi-led government has been very devoted towards the promotion of Yoga worldwide and is currently hoping for inclusion of Yoga in the intangible heritage list of UNESCO. In the past, there have been successful results on popularising Yoga worldwide – the highlight of which was the declaration of June 21 as International Yoga Day by United Nations.
The Ministry of Culture pushed for the inclusion of Yoga in UNESCO's list of intangible heritage list at the 11th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage inaugurated by President of Ethiopia, Mulatu Teshome. It has now been included in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity. UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage has been ratified by 171 states parties to date. Its Intergovernmental Committee meets annually to implement the Convention and examine requests for inscription on its various lists.
The term 'cultural heritage' as developed by UNESCO includes "traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts".
Comments
0 comment