Chandigarh

Yoga guru Ramdev today announced his plans to set up a university in Haryana, which will be established and controlled under his Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth.

BJP government in Haryana today decided to set up an AYUSH university at Kurukshetra, Ramdev also informed that he too plans to set up another university in the State, without elaborating about it.

“The Government will set up this university (at Kurukshetra), but we (under Patanjali) too will set up one. A resolution to this effect will be passed in Haryana Assembly soon,” Ramdev told reporters here this evening.

When asked if he will seek any help from Manohar Lal Khattar government for setting up the university, Ramdev said, “we will seek legal advice from government, but not any financial incentive.”

Khattar, who was also present in the press conference along with Ramdev said, “Swami ji has multiple roles, one in which he runs his organisation like in Haridwar or in Haryana, the government will not have any role in this. He is Haryana’s brand ambassador for promotion of Yoga and Ayurveda, a role which he has accepted and we are seeking his guidance and moving forward on this.”

About the proposed AYUSH university at Kurukshetra, Ramdev said it would have the facility of in-patient and out-patient departments, pharmacy and a herbal garden.

He assured the Chief Minister that Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth and the State Government would work together for setting up of this varsity.

The Yoga Guru also indicated that after Uttrakhand, Haryana would be a major base for Patanjali.

He also said that it would be his endeavour to see that Haryana becomes a major hub of education, where value-based and moral education was imparted with modern education.

The yoga guru, who was accompanied by his close aide Balkrishna, was speaking to reporters after his meeting with Haryana CM, seniors ministers, including Health Minister Anil Vij, besides top officials of the state government, in connection with promotion of yoga and ayurveda in the state.

Ramdev, further said that the world’s biggest herbal forest would be set up at Morni in Panckhula district.

It would have plants of thousands of species of ayurvedic herbs, which would be grown under the supervision of Yoga guru and his aide Balkrishna.

“The world?s largest herbal forest would be set up at Morni in district Panchkula where species of all medicinal plants would be made available. This herbal forest, which would be completely developed in the coming 2-3 years, would put Haryana on the international map. It would not only provide a platform to the researchers from world but also emerge as an international tourist destination,” he said.

Ramdev said at present only about 300 varieties of medicinal plants have been identified at Morni, but there were thousands which were yet to be identified.

“Today, why does every botanist want to go to world famous Kew Botanical Gardens (UK). Morni has the potential to become more famous than the Kew gardens,” he said.

He said that about 3.90 lakh plants of different varieties were available in the world “but it is a matter of fact that even the World Health Organisation (WHO) is unable to find out the exact figure of medicinal plants among them.”

“We have a team of 100 scientists and botanists and have prepared a checklist of 55,000 medicinal plants,” he claimed.

Ramdev also said that the Chief Minister has announced that Yogashalas and Vyayamshalas in about 1000 villages would begin from Dussehra this year in the available infrastructure.

“In the first phase ten villages would be taken up from each Assembly constituency,” he said.

1,000 boys and girls would be selected for imparting training in these Yogashalas and Vyayamshalas and they would be provided one month training at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridawar.

In all, 10,000 Yogashalas and Vyayamshalas would be opened in the state, he said, adding these would also help in keeping the youth away from drug addiction.

On June 21 being observed as World Yoga Day, he said “on this day we would take out around 10 to 20 crore countrymen out of their homes with an aim to motivate them to make yoga a part of their life”.

Ramdev said “our volunteers would launch a campaign from June 1 to June 20 and invite the people to participate in the World Yoga Day.”

“We will make efforts that Haryana takes a lead in this campaign also. For this, 10,000 volunteers would actively work to ensure people’s participation in the celebration of World Yoga Day,” he added.

Replying to a question, Ramdev said he or his organisation was providing assistance and guidance to Haryana in setting up of herbal forests and Yogshalas and Vyamshalas purely as part of doing “selfless service”.

“I am doing all this as selfless service, I will put all my energies,” he said and added in a lighter vein, “I will not even charge money for petrol money from them”.

Meanwhile, during the meeting which Ramdev had with the Haryana CM and other officials and Ministers, it was decided that Yoga classes would be held at premises of Schools, Primary Health Centres (PHC) and Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendras on temporary basis till the construction of Yoga and Vyayamshalas at village level.

Yogashalas and Vyayamshalas are to be set up over two acres of land.

In the meeting, Health Minister Anil Vij apprised that 105 Ayurvedic doctors have completed five days training course at Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar and 250 more such doctors would be sent for training in this financial year.

PTI