Christians and Muslims protest Surya Namaskar

STRONGLY OPPOSING the BJP government’s move to hold a mass yoga programme on Surya Namaskar in schools, members of Muslim and Christian communities declared a united protest against it on Sunday.

Describing it as “unconstitutional”, a meeting of Muslim bodies, called by state unit of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), formed an 11-member committee to protest and seek Governor Balram Jakhar’s intervention in preventing the programme scheduled on January 25.

“It has been made compulsory for children in government schools to attend the programme,” Syed Sajid Ali, convenor of the newly formed committee told PTI.

“Booklets carrying `shloka’ (religious verses) have also been circulated among schools for recitation during the surya namaskar programme,” he claimed, adding it was against Islam.

“We have held discussions on it with Christian leaders, who have agreed to arrive at a unified platform to protest the move,” he said, announcing plans to meet the Governor on Monday.

The BJP government was attempting to “incite religious passion under the garb of yoga” among school children, Catholic Church of Madhya Pradesh spokesman Anand Muttungal said.

“Their (BJP’s) intention is doubtful. Though Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed that participation in the programme was voluntary, schools have been compelled to attend it,” he said adding Christians and Muslims would unite to protest it.