This New Year, Yoga Sessions for Police in Kerala

Each police station in Kerala will have to rope in yoga instructors for guidance.

Yoga in the morning at a park. (Photo: Hamza Ameer)

As the year 2016 draws to a close and people across the world gear up for yet another round of New Year resolutions, the Kerala police have reportedly decided to incorporate Yoga into their routine chalked out for 2017.

State police chief Loknath Behera has issued instructions to all district Superintendent of Police (SPs) to ensure that yoga sessions are held daily in all police stations in their respective areas of responsibility, beginning 1 January.

I received the order two days ago. The letter however does not make yoga sessions mandatory per se. But this is very much needed in the police force which faces constant pressure all the time. It will also aid in better discharge of our duties.

Kannur SP Sanjay Kumar

Each police station will have to rope in yoga instructors for guidance.

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Dismissing certain media reports of several police personnel having reservations in doing yoga owing to religious differences, SP Sanjay Kumar opines that the purpose of the DGP’s order is not to impose rules, but to help officials.

“The yoga session will be held in the mornings at around 6.30/7 am. Officers who live close by or at the police quarters will not have issues reporting for the session. For those who are not able to do so owing to practical difficulties, I feel they should be allowed to practice yoga in the comfort of their homes,” he says.

Pathanamthitta SP Harishankar too feels that the order which has been issued in the good interest of the state police force could be modified to accommodate practical difficulties.

Considering our work schedules, daily morning yoga sessions could cause difficulty especially to the Vanitha (women) police.The current order could be modified to make it a weekly session for them at least. We did offer such a suggestion from our side, but not in writing.

Pathanamthitta SP Harishankar

Refusing to comment on the order, another senior police official from Kollam points out that "regular parades and other activities are already in place as part of physical training”.