Gujarat’s legislators have been urged to promote yoga in their constituencies through a ‘One Booth, One Yoga Class’ approach. This initiative is part of the state government’s efforts to combat rising obesity and encourage healthier lifestyles. The call was made during a special yoga dialogue program titled ‘Ek Kadam Yogmay Vidhansabha Taraf’ organized by the Gujarat State Yoga Board in Gandhinagar.
The event, attended by Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, aimed to discuss ways to expand yoga activities at the grassroots level. This program is a part of the state’s ‘Swasth Gujarat – Medasvita Mukt Gujarat’ campaign, which focuses on promoting healthier lifestyles and addressing the obesity challenge. The initiative seeks to make yoga a mass movement through elected representatives to support the vision of ‘Viksit Gujarat, Viksit Bharat’.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced that the current year would be observed as the ‘Swasth Gujarat’ campaign year in response to concerns raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the increasing obesity rates. Under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and the guidance of Sports Minister Jayram Gamit, various programs are being conducted across Gujarat to promote this initiative. The aim is to establish at least one yoga class at every polling booth area to encourage wider participation among residents.
Officials associated with the program highlighted that yoga should not only be seen as physical exercise but as a lifestyle that can help address health issues. They stressed the importance of combining yoga practice with a balanced diet to combat obesity and related illnesses. The Gujarat State Yoga Board aims to expand its reach to five crore citizens from the current 50 lakh people connected through its programs with the support of MLAs and local community initiatives.
