Environment and
Yoga for Public Health
or simple Rhetoric
I
ndia is a country of 1.3 billion population out of which 23.6% or about 276
million people live below $1.25 per day. It is a country still with bullock
cart economy and is also in space and nuclear power. It is a dichotomy that
we are still struggling in having an Open Defecation Free (ODF) country even
after 70 years of independence, yet country is rated high in the international
arena. Are we - as citizens and country - doing enough to pay attention to
basic issues? We keep blaming government but do forget our role in nation
building. The issue of ODF is related to health of the community and so is
the Environment and Yoga.
Through the current issue of this magazine, we intend to highlight two
important activities in June - India hosting World Environment Day on
5th June 2018 and celebrating International Day of Yoga on 21st June
2018. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Environment said, “India is excited to
host the World Environment Day this year on 5th June. Indian philosophy
and lifestyle has long been rooted in the concept of co-existence with nature.
We are committed to making Planet Earth a cleaner and greener place”. The
theme for World Environment 2018 is “Beat Plastic Pollution”, we need to
explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the production and
excessive use of single-use plastic polluting our oceans, damaging marine
life and threatening human health. Every year, the world uses 500 billion
plastic bags and atleast 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the oceans,
equivalent of garbage truck every minute. We buy 1 million plastic bottles
every minute. Plastic makes up 10% of all the waste we generate.
Dr VK Singh
Editor-in-Chief & MD,
InnovatioCuris
vksingh@innovatiocuris.com
While hosting the World Environment Day, we should rather be the role
model for the rest of the world, but we are also in rhetoric to celebrate,
give lectures and felicitate but do nothing on the ground. There is a need
of strong time bound action and political will, we may have to take a few
hard decisions for the sake of the health of the community. India is credited
under the leadership of present Prime Minister Mr. Modi to get recognition
of International Day of Yoga on 21st June which happens to be longest day
in Northern hemisphere. Yoga to be adopted as way of life to prevent and
treat many lifestyle diseases, research has proved reversal of heart blocks
by yoga, meditation and diet. In fact, Yoga is accepted all over the world by
recognising its benefit by adoption.
Let us join hands to adopt environment and yoga days in true spirit to
keep ourselves healthy by making these as part of our daily routine. To
strengthen public health, let us concentrate on small issues like ODF and
theme behind movies “Toilet ek Prem Katha” and “Padman” which are not
issues of developed nations. We are a country of two sides of the same coin -
one side is hovering in the space and arena of nuclear power while the other
one struggling with issues like Open Defecation Free country and Padman,
not having enough nutrition and healthcare. We need to take care of this
segment - innovate and show results on the ground - not simply rhetoric.
Volume 3 | Issue 3 | July-September 2018
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