Surya Namaskar: A walkover to superstition

March 3, 2015

Firstly in Madhya Pradesh and now in Rajasthan, Surya Namaskar has been made obligatory in schools. While in the former state this peculiar form of Yoga has been prescribed only for government schools, in the latter the move has gone beyond by asking private schools as well to observe it. Accordingly, millions of children of 48,000 schools in Rajasthan including 20,000 private schools and a large number of institutions in MP are officially instructed to hold the so-called sun salutation at the beginning of school activities every day.

surya

It is exceptionally queer and alarming that all brands of secular sections, socialists, communists, atheists and religious minorities, except Muslims and Christians, are reticent on the promulgation of a superstitious order in the age of science and enlightenment. From among Hindus only Arya Samajists have opposed the move. Even the resistance is confused and half-hearted. It seems that the vast majority of the country is either waiting, as a proverbial silent majority, for emergence of any critical situation or it has given an unthought-of walkover to a quasi-science measure.

The Rajasthan education minister has accepted that Surya Namaskar, yoga and meditation are made mandatory in all secondary and senior secondary schools and informed the media that no one has opposed the sanction in the state. Suwalal, director of Secondary Education in Rajasthan, said, "The order is aimed at improving the educational environment along with strengthening mental and physical fitness." However, facts are contrary to the claim. Some expert comments may be considered here.

According to the American Yoga Association, “Yoga exercises are not recommended for children under 16 because their bodies’ nervous and glandular systems are still growing, and the effect of Yoga exercises on these systems may interfere with natural growth.” Most students of secondary and senior secondary students fall in that age range.

A caution from one alternative medicine site warns that meditation instruction in tender ages can cause physiological or psychological harm - such as: mania, psychosis, hallucination, depression and suicidal tendency, nervous breakdown, sudden surge of heart rates, chronic pain, and split personalities.

Dr. James G. Garrick, an orthopedic surgeon and director of the Center for Sports Medicine at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco, said that his clinic saw 39 patients with yoga injuries in 2002, up from 11 in 2001. Most of the injuries patients suffered were to the knee, followed by lower back and shoulder. The injuries result from people trying to stretch their bodies into difficult poses that are beyond their physical limitations. Experts are of the opinion that inverted Asanas including Padahastasana should be avoided in glaucoma, inflammatory diseases in the head region and severe hypertension.

Art of Living, the well-known champion of Yoga in the country, instructs, “If you are suffering from persistent back pain, any other pain in the body or some chronic physical problem, it is advisable to consult a doctor before beginning the practice.”

The common guess is that the governments of MP and Rajasthan have not conducted any medical checkup of the students for giving them clearance for yogic exercises nor they have followed age-specific advices of experts. It is not clear whether the policymakers have made provision for compensation if any wrong happens with any student during the celebrated exercise. It can be imagined that the concerning departments would not have developed any monitoring mechanism to watch health complications apprehended to occur as a consequence of human error and system failure. It is the responsibility of the government to fix compensation in case of any ravage.

It should be noted that the tradition of Surya Namaskar is embedded in age old superstitions around the sun worship. There was a time when mankind was not aware about stars larger than the sun. It was not known at that time that the sun is not a divinity but a large ball of hydrogen gas which burns, changes to helium and thus illuminates the world. Ancient people were unaware that many kinds of sunrays are, in fact, harmful for life on the earth. They were ignorant about the existence of UVA and UVB rays which originate from the sun and penetrate the atmosphere and play an important role in conditions such as premature skin aging, eye damage (including cataracts), and skin cancers and that they also suppress the immune system, reducing one’s ability to fight off these and other maladies. They did not know, it is the ozone layer which saves all kinds of life from harmful radiation of the sun in the absence of which life would not have been possible on the earth. So the ignorant man started worshipping the sun as a central power in the perceived universe. In fact, ozone layer deserves more of human reverence than the sun itself so long as sustenance of life is concerned.

Science has made it possible to grapple with truth and reality more intensely. Yet, there are people who appear uninterested to prefer science over quasi-science and fact over fiction and history over mythology. That too is happening now in the name of education!

The country has seen a few years back an orchestrated and wide spread drama of milk-drinking Ganesha by using the science of siphon. Thank God, the scientific community came forward to blew up the ‘divine miracle’ before the event could go into popular memory. The same forces are active in other guise but the present silence of the scientific community is really astonishing.

The conservative sections of the country have started imposing superstitious beliefs just after attaining power at the center. Gujarat’s BJP government made it mandatory to observe Saraswati Pujan on the day of Basant Panchami and other state governments of the party are playing with educational system at the cost of enlightenment through other gimmicks.

It is in record that Raja Bhavan Rao Srinivas of Aundh preached Surya Namaskar for the first time in the schools of his small state in Maratha region through his 1928 composition, "The Ten Point Way of Health". The earliest direct reference to Sun Salutation has been traced in “A Short History of Aryan Medical Science” published in 1896 by Simhaji, a lesser known Hindu writer. These two instances make it evident that Surya Namaskar has nothing to do with mainstream Hinduism or some ancient Hindu traditions but its comparatively recent inventors definitely have sun worship in mind as its objective. Simhaji wrote, “Some of the Hindus set aside a portion of their daily worship for making salutations to the Sun by prostrations.” The Art of Living suggests 12 mantras for each of a dozen exercises during Surya Namaskar, with the beginning of ‘Oam’ and the ending of ‘Namaha’ while the middle part comprising any synonym of the deity Sun. ‘Namah’ is equivalent of the Persian word ‘Namaz’.

The assertion of Surya Namaskar is neither a wholesome exercise, at least for children, nor it is prescribed in Hinduism as something essential even for Hindus, what to talk of others. Sun worship is its prime objective and it requires incantation of mantras of Hindu sacred books during performance. Thus, it encroaches upon religious liberty of non-Hindus and monotheists and appears to be a backdoor project for Ghar Wapsi. This practice is as ridiculous as nude sun bath prevalent among many people who also proffer many justifications for their superstitious belief.

We are not living in the age of Raja Srinivas nor are we subjects of any modern regency. We are living in the age of science and are citizens of a country where freedom reigns supreme. Imposition of an obsolete sectarian practice on all people of a state is nothing but a disrespect to and denial of that freedom.

Instead of inculcating superstitious worship in the educational systems of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the BJP governments should promote quality education there. Both these states have been traditionally placed among BIMRU states of the country, which are spotted for their rampant backwardness. MP stands 28th and Rajasthan 33rd among 35 states and union territories of the country in terms of literacy. Rajasthan now stands the lowest in female literacy according to 2011 census, showing a decline from 30th position of 2001 census to the abyss. The state is not progressing educationally; rather it is on the fall. It is advisable for Vasundhara Raje as a woman chief minister of educationally the most backward part of India to better work for elevating female literacy in the state to some respectable heights rather than playing with Hinduist hoaxes.

In a recent statement, the former central minister and ex-president of BJP Professor Murli Manohar Joshi has appreciated the Muslim form of prayer (Namaz) as a “good yoga”. There is a provision of Ashtang Yoga in ancient Hindu traditions which is identical to Namaz. Therefore, the governments inclined to introduce Surya Namaskar for the cross-sections of students should allow Namaz in schools for Muslim students and Ashtanga Yoga for Hindu students, as both are better than the Surya Namaskar invented by a Raja for his subjects.

The people who are agitating and resisting the superstitious move of the conservative governments of BJP need to plead their case in the name of science and rationality apart from the angle of religious liberty. Moreover, the matter should be undertaken from a human rights viewpoint in the wake of potential harms of yogic practices in tender ages and perhaps beyond.

rasheed

[Contributor is an activist, writer on contemporary issues and author of many books including his recent thought-provoking work “Islam in 21st Century: The Dynamics of Change and Future-making”.]

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Tablighi Jamaat – the conundrum for Indian liberals

Wafa Sultana

April 4,2020

Over the last couple of days when the world was occupied with unifying efforts to fight the deadly Covid19 pandemic, sections of Indian media provided viewers a familiar scapegoat – the Indian Muslims – who are often stereotyped as a community being constantly at loggerheads with the citizenry and the State. Biased media channels were quick to resort to blaming the entire Muslim community for the spread of the disease in the country, thanks to an ill-timed Tablighi Jamaat gathering at its international headquarters in Delhi’s Nizamuddin. Unsurprisingly, the opprobrium was also marked by a sudden spike in WhatsApp forwards of videos with people wearing skullcaps licking spoons and performing Sufi breathing rituals, suggesting some sort of wild conspiracy on the part of the community to spread the virus. Some media channels were quick to formulate, hypothesize and provide loose definitions of a newly discovered form of Jihad i.e. ‘Corona Jihad ’ thereby vilifying the Islamic faith and its followers.

While the investigation on the culpability of the organizers of the Nizamuddin event is still ongoing, there is enough information to suggest that the meeting was held before any lockdown was in force, and the problem began when there was no way of getting people out once the curfew was announced. Be that as it may, there is little doubt that organizing a meet of such a scale when there is a global pandemic smacks of gross misjudgment, and definitely the organizers should be held accountable if laws or public orders were defied. Attendees who attempt to defy quarantine measures must be dealt with strictly. However, what is alarming is that the focus and narrative have now shifted from the unfortunate event at Nizamuddin to the Tablighi Jamaat itself.

For those not familiar with the Tablighi Jamaat, the organization was founded in 1926 in Mewat by scholar Maulana Mohammad Ilyas. The Jamaat’s main objective was to get Muslim youth to learn and practice pristine Islam shorn of external influences. This is achieved through individuals dedicating time for moral and spiritual upliftment secluded from the rest of the world for a brief period of time. There is no formal membership process. More senior and experienced participants typically travel from one mosque to other delivering talks on religious topics, inviting local youth to attend and then volunteer for a spiritual retreat for a fixed number of days to a mosque in a nearby town or village to present the message to their co-religionists. Contrary to ongoing Islamophobic rhetoric, the movement does not actively proselytize. The focus is rather on getting Muslims to learn the teachings and practices of Islam. This grassroots India-based movement has now grown to almost all countries with substantial Muslim populations. Its annual meets, or ‘ijtemas’ are among the largest Islamic congregations in the world after the annual Haj. One of the reasons for its popularity and wide network in the subcontinent and wordwide is the fact that it has eschewed the need for scholarly intervention, focusing on peer learning of fundamental beliefs and practice rather than high-falutin ideological debates. The Tablighi Jamaat also distinguishes itself from other Islamic movements through its strictly apolitical nature, with a focus on individual self-improvement rather than political mobilization. Hardships and difficulty in the world are expected to be face through ‘sabr’ (patience) and ‘dua’ (supplication), than through quest for political power or influence. In terms of ideology, it is very much based on mainstream Sunni Islamic principles derived from the Deobandi school.

So, why is all this background important in the current context? While biased media entities have expectedly brought out their Islamophobic paraphernalia out for full display, more neutral commentators have tried to paint the Tablighi Jamaat as a fringe group and have tried to distance it from 'mainstream Muslims'. While the intent is no doubt innocent, this is a trap we must not fall into. This narrative, unfortunately, is also gaining ground due to apathy some Muslims have for the group, accusing it of being “disconnected from the realities of the world”. Unlike other Muslim organizations and movements, the Tablighi Jamat, by virtue of its political indifference, does not boast of high-profile advocates and savvy spokespersons who can defend it in mainstream or social media. The use of adjectives such as 'outdated' and 'orthodox' by liberal columnists to describe the Jamaat feeds into the malignant attempt to change the narrative from the control of the spread of the pandemic due to the Nizamuddin gathering to 'raison d'etre' of the organization itself.

A large mainstream religious group like the Tablighi Jamaat with nearly a hundred-year history, normally considered to be peaceful, apolitical and minding its own business is now suddenly being villainized owing to unfortunate circumstances. Biased media reactions filled with disgust and hate seem to feed the Indian public conscience with a danngerous misconception - to be a nominal Muslim is okay but being a practicing one is not. For those committed to the truth and fighting the spread of Islamophobia, the temptation to throw the entire Tablighi Jamaat under the bus must be resisted.

The writer is a lawyer and research scholar at Qatar University. Her research interests include Islamic law and politics.

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great article! provides a great perspective on tableeg jamat

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India’s Composite Culture and Muslim Stalwarts

Ram Puniyani

August 9,2020

Contrary to present impression that Muslims are separatists due to whom the partition of India took place, the truth is that Muslims contributed to freedom movement and upheld India’s composite culture in equal measure. The partition process, mainly due to British policy of ‘divide and rule’ well assisted by Hindu and Muslim communalists is being hidden from the popular vision in India and Muslims in general are held responsible for the same. Not only that the communal historiography introduced by British to pursue their policies has become the bedrock of communal politics and worsening of the perceptions about Muslims is in progress in India.

Yet another example of this has been a series of tweets by the bureaucrat, who is close to retirement, K. Nageshwar Rao. Contrary to the service rules he has made statements, through his tweets which are appreciative of RSS-BJP and demonise the stalwarts Muslim leaders who not only contributed to the freedom movement but also later gave valuable service in laying the foundation of Independent India. As per Rao, his tweets he accuses Maulana Azad and the other Muslim Education ministers of “deracination of Hindus”. After naming “Maulana Abul Kalam Azad — 11 years (1947-58)”; “Humayun Kabir, M C Chagla & Fakruddin Ali Ahmed — 4 years (1963-67)”; and, “Nurul Hassan — 5 years (1972-77)”, he posts: “Remaining 10 years other Leftists like VKRV Rao.”

He points out that their policies were meant to “1. Deny Hindus their knowledge, 2. Vilify Hinduism as collection of superstitions, 3. Abrahamise Education, 4. Abrahamise Media & Entertainment, 5. Shame Hindus about their identity! and 6. Bereft of the glue of Hinduism Hindu society dies.”

Then he goes on to praise RSS-BJP for bringing the glory back to Hindus. These statements of his on one hand promote the Hate and on the other tantamount to political statement, which civil servants should not by making. CPM politburo member Brinda Karat has written a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah to take suitable action against the erring bureaucrat.

Rao begins with Maulana Abul kalam Azad. Surely Azad was one of the major leaders of freedom movement, who was also the youngest President of INC, in 1923 and later between 1940 to 1945. He opposed the partition process tooth and nail till the very last. As the Congress President in 1923 he wrote a remarkable Para, symbolizing the urge for Hindu Muslim unity, “If an angel descends from heaven and offers me Swaraj in 24 hours on condition that I give up Hindu Muslim Unity, I will refuse. Swaraj we will get sooner or later; its delay will be a loss for India, but loss of Hindu Muslim unity will be a loss for human kind”. His biographer Syeda Hamid points out “He spoke without an iota of doubt about how debacle of Indian Muslims has been the result of the colossal mistakes committed by Muslim League’s misguided leadership. He exhorted Muslims to make common cause with their Hindu, Sikh, Christian fellow countrymen.” He was the one who promoted the translation of Hindu scriptures Ramayan and Mahabharat in to Persian.

Surely Mr. Rao, neither has read Azad or read about him nor knows his contributions to making of Modern India. While today, the ideological formation to which Mr. Rao seems to be pledging his commitment is critical of all that happened during Nehru era, it was during this period when as education minister Azad was shepherding the formations of IITs, Academies of Science, Lalit kala Academies. It was during this period that the efforts to promote Indian composite culture were undertaken through various steps.

The other stalwarts who are under the hammer have been outstanding scholars and giants in their own field of education. Humayun Kabir, Nurul Hasan, Dr.Zakir Husssain gave matchless ideas and practical contributions in different fields of education. One can say that contrary to the accusations, India could match up to the Computer era, software and associate things, due to creation of large manpower in these areas mainly due to these foundations which were laid down particularly in the field of education during this period.

The charge that these ‘Muslim’ education ministers white washed the bloody Islamic rule is a blind repetition of the offshoot of communal historiography introduced by British. While Kings were ruling for power and wealth, their courts had Hindus and Muslim both officers. The jaundiced vision sees this as a bloody Islamic rule but as a matter of fact the syncretic culture and traditions developed precisely this period. It was during this period that Bhakti Traidtion with Kabir, Tukaram, Namdeo, Tulsidas flourished. It was during this period that humane values of Sufi saints reached far and wide. It was during this period that poets like Rahim and Raskhan produced their classic literature n praise of Hindu Gods.

We also need to remind ourselves that large number of Muslims participated in the freedom Movement. Two scholars Shamsul Islam and Nasir Ahmad have come out with books on the myriad such freedom fighters, to recall just a few names. Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Zakir Hussain, Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Kadri, Bakht Khan, Muzzafar Ahmad, Mohammad Abdir Rahman,, Abbas Ali, Asaf Ali, Yusuf Mehrali, Maulana Mazahrul Hague.

These are just a few of the names. The movement, led by Gandhi, definitely laid the foundations where composite Indian culture and respect for all religions, others’ religion was paramount and this is what created Indian fraternity, one of the values which finds its place in the preamble of Indian Constitution.

This blaming of Education ministers who were Muslims is an add-on to the process of Islamophobia in India. So for there have been many actions of Muslim kings which are selectively presented as being bloody, now the post Independent History, where glorious contributions have been made by Muslim leaders are being used to further deepen the divisive process. We need to pay respects to builders of modern India, irrespective of their religion.

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