We the students of Swami Vivekananda District Yoga Wellness Centre,Shillong at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Indian Culture, Bivar Road Shillong-793001 got information that the ashram authorities are planning to close down the yoga centre. We are in disbelief, and extremely disturbed to hear this, and therefore would like to put forward the following points in this connection:

1) Over the past 7 years since Shri Malay Mondal has been teaching the practice of Yoga, many people have benefitted greatly. Health, fitness and overall physical and mental wellness have been experienced by so many.
Since 2013, 4 Yoga classes have been conducted every single day from morning to evening with so many positive results and health benefits to all the participants. We, the members of the Yoga Centre will be totally devastated and depressed if our daily food, that is Yoga, is snatched away from us.Where will we go from here? We believe that it will be impossible replace Shri Malay Mondal as a teacher. Nobody can teach us like he does. He has been taking classes so religiously and with great dedication to give us the best physical and mental health that we need. Even during the lockdown he has been doing online sessions with us to ensure that we remain well and positive during the pandemic. We are deeply indebted to his dedication.

2) Sir Malay Mondal, our Yoga Instructor has become a part of our family and he has done so much for the development of the Ashram. Over the years ,we have seen him fully involved in many activities for the benefit of the Ashram and the Yoga centre, working silently and with great enthusiasm. The ashram owes the renovation in the Yoga Centre, Mother’s School, painting work, window grill for the Auditorium, the dormitory, the Guest House, iron fencing for the garden, organic farming and many other works which have brought a lot of development for the Ashram and also for the society as a whole. We have often walked in to the ashram.to be surprised by some new sight, new fruit and flowering trees and plants, etc and we have witnessed how he has tried to raise funds for the ashram with total and selfless dedication.

3) We would also like to bring to your kind notice that the Treasurer had complained against the Chairman to the Shri Aurobindo Ashram,Pondicherry, for which the Chairman is putting a false allegation or suspicion on Sir Malay ,our Yoga Instructor, who is totally innocent and not involved in this matter at all. Hence on this issue, he (the Chairman) is planning to close down the Yoga centre and to remove him from the post of Yoga instructor.
Is it fair to throw out a person without any reason or proof/evidence of this allegation? Isn't the yoga centre under the AYUSH Department of the GOI? Can such decisions even be taken by just the chairperson without the consent of all the trustees of the ashram and also the AYUSH?

Therefore, it is our humble request to kindly retain our Yoga instructor, Sir Malay and also the Yoga centre for the benefit of the Ashram and for the society as a whole.

We appeal to the trustees of this esteemed organisation, to kindly take our views and feelings into consideration and not to deprive the society of Shillong from the benefits of the yoga centre as it is. It is most ironic that we need to appeal about this so close to the date 21st June, that the world celebrates as International Yoga Day.

All of us want answers or clarifications from the board members

Please support us and sign.this appeal