It was an impressive display of yoga by nearly 1,200 people who underwent yoga training by a Communist Party of India (Marxist)-sponsored training programme.
That the programme has the party’s official stamp of approval was demonstrated by the presence of CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan, party district secretary P. Jayarajan, P.K. Sreemathy, MP, and senior leaders E.P. Jayarajan, M.V. Govindan and M.V. Jayarajan, among others to watch the yoga performance at the Jawahar Stadium here on Sunday afternoon. The event was held under the aegis of the Indian Martial Arts Academy and Yoga Study Centre (IMAAYSC), a pro-CPI(M) initiative.
The chief guest at the performance was Manav Ekta Mission founder Sri M. He said that yoga’s tradition could be traced back to centuries and that it could not be claimed by any particular religion or community.
In his welcome address, CPI(M) district secretary P. Jayarajan said that IMAAYSC is not a CPI(M) initiative. He said that the party supported the yoga training programme because some communal outfits are trying to misappropriate it. He said that the training programme was developed by experts in the field.
Badges of yoga trainers were presented by Sri M at the function. Yoga expert E. Rajeevan, who led the training programme, was named chief faculty of the programme.
