India's Culture Minister Meenakshi Lekhi leads yoga session in S Africa ahead of BRICS meeting

Union Minister of External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi on Thursday led a yoga session here ahead of her meeting with her counterparts from BRICS nations in Mpumalanga province of South Africa.

Lekhi will join the host, South African Minister Zizi Kodwa of Sport, Arts, and Culture; Margareth Menezes, Minister of Culture of the Federative Republic of Brazil; Andrei Malyshev, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation and LI Qun, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China.

The cultural ministers will discuss the importance of cultural diplomacy and the potential of cultural industries in driving economic revival and fostering social cohesion in a post-pandemic world.

Organisers said the primary agenda of the session includes in-depth deliberations on initiatives to support the cultural and creative sectors, the exchange of best practices, and the promotion of cultural diversity.

Ministers will share insights on their respective nations' experiences in navigating the challenges posed by the pandemic and outline strategies to build a resilient cultural ecosystem.

An essential highlight of the session will be the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in the Field of Culture.

This MOU will serve as a foundation for future collaboration and will further solidify cultural partnerships among the BRICS nations. It is expected to provide a framework for joint initiatives, including cultural exchanges, capacity building, and creative collaborations.

At the yoga session, Lekhi reminded the yogis gathered that one of the first resolutions that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to the UN was for the International Day of Yoga to be declared on June 21 each year.

"We have such an ancient connection with South Africa. Our struggles have been together. No matter how things change, we still feel very closely connected to the value system and the emotional connection between India and South Africa is very strong.

"Yoga in Sanskrit or Hindi means 'add', so when you do yoga, you add to your own strength, both physical and emotional strength. Yoga is therefore not just a physical exercise. Yoga is for connection between the human body, mind and soul. This nexus leads to more positivity," Lekhi said.

Yoga expert Maya Bhatt then guided the yogis in some exercises as Lekhi and Consul General Mahesh Kumar joined them on the floor of the Shree Radhe Shyam Mandir Hall in the suburb of Marlboro in Johannesburg.

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