As Goa prepares to mark the 12th International Day of Yoga, the State government’s extensive outreach gives an immediate impression of its commitment to public health and wellness. The proposed Rs 40.28-crore Yoga, Naturopathy and Wellness Centre at Uguem in Sanguem is a forward-looking investment that recognises the growing importance of holistic health and eco-tourism. Encouraging people to embrace healthier lifestyles is undoubtedly a worthy objective.
However, the government’s circular has taken that objective in a different direction. By turning what should be a voluntary celebration of well-being into a compulsory exercise for government employees, teachers, and students, the State risks undermining the very spirit of yoga. What is meant to be a personal journey of self-awareness has been reduced to another bureaucratic obligation.
The problem lies not in promoting yoga, but in the manner of its enforcement. Wellness cannot be legislated into existence. Under the government’s directive, employees are expected to attend yoga sessions between 6 am and 8 am on Sunday, scan a QR code, generate an attendance certificate, and submit a screenshot to their department heads for official records. Such requirements transform a practice rooted in mindfulness and self-discipline into a mechanical exercise in compliance. When people roll out a yoga mat, they are often driven by fear of administrative consequences to secure proof of attendance, sidestepping the deeper values yoga seeks to cultivate.
The circular also raises important legal concerns. Indian courts have repeatedly affirmed that while governments are free to encourage yoga, they cannot compel participation. Earlier this year, the Calcutta High Court disposed of a challenge to a Yoga Day notification only after the state government clarified that participation would remain entirely voluntary. The court underscored that no punitive or coercive action could be taken against those who chose not to attend.
Government directives cannot override individual freedom. Likewise, when the Supreme Court dismissed petitions in 2017 seeking to make yoga a compulsory subject in schools, it reinforced the broader view that while education is a fundamental right, imposing specific lifestyle practices risks encroaching upon personal and institutional freedoms. By making attendance mandatory, Goa may be inviting unnecessary controversy over an event intended to promote well-being.
The trend of the International Day of Yoga being used for optics that override awareness is unfortunate. That Goa aims to set a Guinness World Record by drawing two lakh participants across 1,000 venues reveals where the emphasis lies. The pursuit of numbers and visibility appears to have overshadowed the original purpose.
Today, Yoga Day appears to be a choreographed spectacle. For a few hours on a Sunday morning, parks, playgrounds, and indoor spaces will be filled with coordinated poses, official ceremonies, and social media-friendly photographs. Cameras will capture scenes of mass participation, dignitaries on stage, and record-breaking ambitions. But once the event concludes and attendance certificates are taken, yoga once again fades into the background of public health policy. A single morning of compulsory asanas cannot meaningfully address lifestyle-related illnesses, nor can it nurture lasting habits of physical and mental well-being.
If the government genuinely wants yoga to become a part of everyday life, it must view it differently and consistently through various forums. The government needs to invest in trained instructors, wider community yoga programmes and a sustained public outreach. Chasing a world record may generate headlines, but it does little to foster a genuine culture of wellness. Yoga, at its core, is an invitation, and an opportunity for individuals to discover balance, health, and inner peace. It loses its meaning the moment it becomes an order.
