A mass yoga exercise for five million children in India, aimed at kick-starting a health drive, has provoked calls for Muslims to boycott schools today.

The central state of Madhya Pradesh wants all children to take part in the Surya Namaskar, which in Sanskrit means “sun salutation”.

Elaborate preparations have been made for the performance of the 12-posture exercise and the Pranayama, the yogic breathing technique espoused by Swami Ramdev. In the absence of the yoga guru, who is holding a camp in Bangkok, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, will lead the session.

His commands will be broadcast at 9am from the city of Bhopal across the state on radio and television. Every child aged 11 and above has been invited to participate and every state minister ordered to attend. “We have a firm belief that Surya Namaskar is good for health and we want to teach it to everyone who is interested,” Ajay Vishnoi, the health minister, said. “Five million children will be doing this.”

The event has angered India’s 150 million-strong Muslim community, which fears further marginalisation by the majority Hindu population. Madhya Pradesh is ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalists.

The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board appealed to the state governor to intervene, while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, one of India’s leading Islamic organisations, sought a high court injunction against an “unconstitutional” event. Both approaches having failed, Muslim leaders advised parents to avoid “an embarrassing situation” by not sending their children to school.

“India is a secular country, and we don’t think it is right on the part of the Government to hurt our religious sentiments by favouring a practice of the majority community,” Shamshuddin Ahmed, a member of the Muslim law board, said. “Our religion does not preach reverence to the Sun. It teaches to pay obeisance to the maker of the Sun, Allah.”

The controversy is the second in four months involving the promotion of Hindu nationalism in state schools. There was outrage in September after all educational institutions were instructed to sing Vande Mataram, the national song, to mark its centenary.

Muslim leaders protested that the song, which translates as Mother, I Bow to Thee, was also against their principle of bowing before no one but Allah. The Government ruled that it was optional to sing the song — a rallying cry for Indians fighting British rule — but the BJP condemned the objections as unpatriotic.

Similarly, it is emphasised that the Surya Namaskar is not compulsory. “No one is forcing people to join in,” Mr Vishnoi said. “It is for whoever wants to. It is nothing to do with religion. It is a health function.”

Swami Ramdev plans a yoga training and research centre in the state. The guru, who has broadcast daily on his TV channel since 2002, is said to have a $50 million (£25 million) empire.

Salutary salutations

The Surya Namaskar is said to strengthen the body, improve circulation and regulate breathing. Benefits include stronger abdominal muscles, reduced anxiety, improved memory, hair loss prevention and a less prominent Adam’s apple. Pregnant women and hernia sufferers are advised not to do it

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