Gabbard Tells India’s Modi She’ll Push for International Yoga Day
The Hawaii congresswoman also presented the new prime minster with a ginger flower garland and her personal copy of the Bhagavad-Gita.
I blogged last weekend how U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was thrilled meeting India’s prime minister,聽Narendra Modi, after his speech in New York City.
It turns out that the聽Hawaii congresswoman also聽 to Mr. Modi “to take the lead in Congress to pass a resolution in support of the Prime Minister鈥檚 appeal to the UN to create an ‘International Yoga Day,'” :
Both agreed that 鈥淵oga is widely misunderstood as a system of physical exercise rather than a lifestyle consciousness and world view that can help improve health,聽provide insight for addressing聽environmental challenges, facilitate world peace, and much more.鈥 Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said she and Mr. Modi聽agreed that 鈥淭he聽West would be surprised by the vast knowledge and solutions the ancient Vedic texts have to offer the modern world.鈥
Gabbard is the only Hindu member of the U.S. Congress, and even though she is not Indian, many Hindus in America and abroad are proud of her. , for example, reported聽on the Gabbard-Modi encounter.
Gabbard聽gave Modi her personal copy of the Bhagavad-Gita, “which she has had since she was a child and was ‘a source of courage and comfort’ during her two tours of duty in the Middle East as a Soldier, and which she took her Congressional Oath of Office on.”
She聽also聽presented the Indian leader with a ginger flower garland from Hawaii, which Modi pointed out was a tradition in India too.
During their meeting, the two “spoke of the priorities shared by India and the US, including defeating the threat posed by ISIS and other Islamic extremists, cooperating to address environmental concerns, and maximising economic opportunities.”
Rep. Gabbard and Prime Minister Modi, Sept. 29.
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
