Better Icons For A Better Body-Mind: Why 2020 Should Become The Last Edition Of International Day of Yoga To Involve Bollywood Actors For Awareness

On 19 June, Yogrishi Swami Ramdev conducted a yoga protocol rehearsal at Har Ki Paudi in Haridwar (Uttarakhand) ahead of the International Day of Yoga.

This year, amid the pandemic, the International Day of Yoga (IDY) is being observed through electronic and digital platforms by the Ministry of AYUSH.

People are being encouraged to connect with IDY celebrations from home and practise yoga at home.

Swami Ramdev's session was part of a special series on yoga. The brilliant series being currently run on India TV is focused on physical, emotional and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the other hand AYUSH seems to have made a meaningful effort this year to celebrate IDY with the same enthusiasm shown by it in the pre-Covid years.

The flowing backdrop of Ganga to Swami Ramdev's yoga rehearsal, decisively, was a sign and sight culturally comforting. It won't return anytime soon. At least, not this year.

Swami Ramdev himself is expected to practise the yoga protocol with the children and young adults at the Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar on 21 June (Sunday).

Following Swami Ramdev's yoga protocol rehearsal, this author went to the Twitter handles of two ministries concerned with the Yoga Day celebrations.

Of these two handles, one is dedicated to Yoga and Ayurveda, and one, to culture.

The idea was to check if the recording or a clip of the session had reached their handles, to be able to share it further. Of solid current and cultural value, it was absent from these two handles.

Instead, one stumbles upon a video clip dedicated to the IDY, more glamorous, if not more convincing and complete.

It's a video of a Bollywood actor.

She tells the viewer that yoga connects one with the soul. Her gorgeous self is described as a "yoga influencer" in a post.

This report says that the Ministry of AYUSH has roped in Anushka Sharma "to promote yoga among the masses".

Bollywood "influencer" for yoga: A misnomer

Bollywood stars talking about "niyam" and "sainyyam" in the context of life (and unassumingly, the mind): a stunning trend.

Another trend emerges just as India approaches IDY 2020. In a country of thriving yoga gurus, whose followers, popularity, teachings, sessions, and economies inflict heavy wounds and envy upon the cultural Left, the International Day of Yoga, needs "influencers".

There are other video clips that have been shared in relation with this year's IDY.

One is of a veteran actor; another video clip featuring a Bollywood actor who is well known for her stint with transforming to "size zero" for script-specific clothing. Then, there is another video clip -- from a fitness freak actor.

Bollywood won't leave the Indian middle class alone it seems. Not even on IDY.

Currently, Bollywood is in the shadow of serious concerns following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, including nepotism, bullying, gas lighting, blocking genuine talent through groupism, and a disastrously insensitive response to the issue of suicide, which was pretty evident.

Singer Sonu Nigam's statement adds good thickness to the perception of existing toxicity in the industry.

Yet, people from this industry manage to find some presence as "influencers" for yoga -- an ancient heritage, when they actually should be confined to being influencers for their industry.

It's 2020. The Chinese virus has left a new challenge for the middle class to discover at every nook and cranny of life. People are busy fighting serious challenges, that none in Bollywood would be cut for, even for a day in a reality show.

The sight of Bollywood actors in IDY promotional videos makes "influencer" seem a grand misnomer.

The culture of wrong representation

It leaves this author snickering - at the thought of how disconnected the decision makers are in the different ministries to continue with their dependence on and belief in Bollywood actors.

It betrays a disconnect of ministries at the Centre -- with the transforming emotion within the common man for Bollywood. Yoga is for the common Indic. It's his heritage.

Another intriguing part about the selection of yoga "influencers" in the run up to the big day on 21 June is that the Twitter handles of the ministry dedicated to the propagation and preservation of "culture", and of yoga, have skipped the real culture custodians.

Dancers dedicated to the classical forms, vocalists practising the classical forms and Dhrupad, folk dancers, and folk martial arts, don't make the cut as influencers against Bollywood actors. IDY 2020 needs them on the awareness scene.

That is just about one kind of representation in creating "influence".

The IDY 2020 needed the common man -- the unknown soldier, the unknown professional, the unknown home maker, the unknown men in uniform, the unknown doctors, nurses, front line workers, educators, children, the unknown survivor of the different diseases -- in their beautiful imperfections to be seen as yoga influencers.

The stories of people's effort towards finding yoga, of discovering yoga as a heritage, of the challenges they face in getting to the next asana, of realising change in bodies, work, relationships and lives, need to come out. AYUSH has been mindful of it. It needs to do more. More aggressively.

That, automatically, will see the space for Bollywood in yoga awareness shrinking.

People need yoga stories of people

By making the people stories reach people, Swami Ramdev has made yoga reach the villages and towns during decades of his popularity.

Last week, in his show on India TV, he had one episode themed on depression, asanas, meditation and the importance of giving an outlet to emotion. The timing of this particular episode had context.

There was something more to the timing that perhaps made the anchors take up the issue of depression.

The news of the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput had occupied social media for a day. Baba Ramdev addressed the issue in tone and tenor that seemed a bit grim and more pointed than usual. He performed asanas while he spoke, which the broadcast of his yoga sessions are known for. Pranayam, as expected, stayed at the centre of this episode.

Somewhere during this episode, he mentioned the importance of giving feelings an emotional outlet -- especially through tears or crying. He mentioned how a bad patch in the health of Acharya Balkrishna had left him in tears. He mentioned the passing away of one of his close friends and said that it made him cry and gave him grief.

It all tapered into the larger defense of the body during the pandemic, which is a matter of concern to people currently.

Swami Ramdev addresses the co-morbidity aspects that would need attention in the long fight against Covid. The thrust and crux of the show remains building defense against the virus, fighting the allied threats, through the practice of Pranayam and the asanas.

AYUSH must know that in 2020, the common man so far distanced from yoga for his own reasons, wants to soak yoga. The common man wants to make a safe transition -- from lockdown to getting used to living with the Chinese virus while being armed with the benefits of yoga practice (as per his ability and time).

The nose for nuance

AYUSH needs to realise that the trust the common man places in the yoga gurus itself makes them valid influencers. For this, interactions between the popular and lesser known gurus, for the public, must be given a thought.

AYUSH and the culture ministry needs to process the fact that iconic figures such as Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev have immense nuanced cultural interaction to offer through his sessions and programmes, to the common man. When yoga reaches common folks through gurus such as him, culture and thought trickle along.

AYUSH needs to be familiar with the efforts of initiatives such as Indica Yoga, which would begin its month-long Global Festival of Yoga. Indica will be celebrating wellness through their interactions for the public with yogis, philosophers, artistes, scholars and others.

The common man wants to see the yoga gurus and their shishyas as influencers. What happens when two gurus address yoga and interact and collaborate? Here is a powerful sample. This is when Swami Ramdev visited the Isha Yoga Center.

The steering away of Bollywood actors from yoga -- in all capacities -- including awareness and influencing meant for the common man will prompt the gurus themselves to stop presenting Bollywood actors as examples.

Today, the yoga gurus are creating the ground for a connection between Ayurveda and prakriti (nature) and the common man through their work, sessions and programmes. They are exploring psychological and spiritual inquiry.

Yoga gurus are assertively contributing to strengthening the muscle and mind of the youth. Involving Bollywood actors in IDY celebration is indirectly undoing this process of creation.

AYUSH and the Centre need to rethink the propagation and perception of yoga. They need a nose for nuance.

A small step towards a possibly fast revolution towards the rethinking and rethought propagation of yoga, would be to stop dumbing down IDY and its purpose, via Bollywood, its disillusioned anti-Indic actors and its delusions.

Last. India and the world are fighting the Chinese virus. India, alone, is fighting Chinese cultural and military expansionist aggression. China takes its ancient wisdom seriously. It makes the ancient wisdom communicate with the contemporary needs and soft power wisely and selectively.

The yogis, the gurus, their disciples and scholars need to be given a free hand and the space to unleash India's inherent empowerment brought by and moving towards yoga. For it to have a sturdy global call, it's time to kick out Bollywood actors from IDY celebrations, anything to do with IDY and Centre's efforts towards yoga, and allied culture verticals.