With the International Yoga Day fast approaching, preparations are in full swing across the entire nation and Rajasthan is no exception. In order to ensure that the International Yoga Day is celebrated with utmost fervor on June 21st in Rajasthan, the state's education minister, Vasudev Devnani has directed an early reopening of the schools across the state.
Usually, the schools in the state re-open in the last week of June giving enough time to the teachers to make arrangements for the classes to resume from 1st July.
The order issued by the Minister to all the schools in the state reads, "The entire staff of each school has to ensure that they should make necessary arrangements for Yoga (Day) on June 20. On June 21 you (staff of school) should ensure that students of private schools and people living in the nearby areas should join Yoga from 7am till 8am."
The school teachers had to compulsorily attend the school on last year's World Yoga Day. As per the treasurer of the Rajasthan Shikshak Sangh, Suresh Sharma, "This year, the minister has played it safe by not making the event compulsory for teachers. Nowhere the order has the word saying 'compulsory',"
This change in the stance from the minister highlights that he has taken into consideration the personal issues that might arise for certain teachers. This has been appreciated by the teacher community at large.
Sharma further added, "The minister knew that if you (teachers) are reopening schools on June 20 you have to come daily. If you missed June 21 it will be marked absent,"
The Rajasthan Urdu Teachers Association has also agreed to attend the Yoga Day event, but without the chanting of 'Om'. As per Ameen Kaimkhany, the association's president, "It becomes our duty to make Yoga as a national event successful. But if they make any attempt to impose the religious belief of any community, we will not tolerate it."
According to the sources, the education minister might issue a few more orders, specifying the directions to be kept in mind while observing the International Yoga Day.