Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday led the Armed Forces in celebrating the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) by performing various asanas and breathing exercises with approximately 2,500 soldiers at the Northern Command, in Udhampur.
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Lt General Pratik Sharma also practiced yoga.
All participants witnessed the Prime Minister’s speech on IDY 2025 which he delivered during the main event from Visakhapatnam.
Yoga sessions were also performed at numerous forward locations in the challenging terrain of J&K and Ladakh regions, showcasing the commitment and enthusiasm of our soldiers.
Troops of the paramilitary forces, including BSF, ITBP, CRPF, SSB and also J&K Police practiced yoga at their respective camps.
Addressing the participants, Rajnath Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for popularising Yoga globally and highlighted that the practice provides a holistic approach to health and well-being. He termed Yoga as a universal solution to the problems faced by people in today’s fast-paced world such as stress, anxiety and depression.
“Yoga gives clarity to the people in chaos. It is an art, a science, a philosophy, and spirituality. Those who practice Yoga in their daily lives have control over their body and mind. It makes us proactive, not reactive,” the Defence Minister said.
Describing Operation Sindoor as a shining example of that control, Rajnath Singh stated that Indian Armed Forces displayed restraint, balance and precision during the operation, which is a reflection of their inner strength attained by practising Yoga.
He stated that India’s social and communal unity was targeted through the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor was a clear message to Pakistan that it will face the consequences for supporting terror activities against India.
“Operation Sindoor is the natural progression of the surgical strike of 2016 and the air strike of 2019. It was executed in such a way that Pakistan requested for a ceasefire, and only then have we put a pause to the operation. As I have said earlier, Operation Sindoor is not over yet. India is fully prepared to take all kinds of action against terrorism,” he said.
Rajnath Singh asserted that Pakistan wants to weaken India from within, but it should never forget that just like Major Somnath Sharma, Brigadier Usman too sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of the country.
Rajnath Singh pointed out that the theme of International Day of Yoga each year – One Earth, One Health this year – sends a global message that India thinks not only for itself, but for the welfare of the world.