I blogged last weekend how U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was thrilled meeting India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, after his speech in New York City.
It turns out that the Hawaii congresswoman also made a commitment to Mr. Modi “to take the lead in Congress to pass a resolution in support of the Prime Minister’s appeal to the UN to create an ‘International Yoga Day,'” according to Gabbard’s office:
Both agreed that “Yoga is widely misunderstood as a system of physical exercise rather than a lifestyle consciousness and world view that can help improve health, provide insight for addressing environmental challenges, facilitate world peace, and much more.” Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said she and Mr. Modi agreed that “The West would be surprised by the vast knowledge and solutions the ancient Vedic texts have to offer the modern world.”
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. The Economic Times of India, for example, reported on the Gabbard-Modi encounter.
Gabbard 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 also 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.”
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About the Author
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Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @chadblairCB.