Are You Ready? Rationalist Prof Narendra Nayak All Set for a ‘Shirtless Challenge’!

Are You Ready? Rationalist Prof Narendra Nayak All Set for a ‘Shirtless Challenge’!

Mangaluru: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thrown open an fitness challenge nationally, but locally a sexagenarian rationalist Prof Narendra Nayak, the President of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, has come up with his own “Shirtless Challenge”, where he terms it as an “Ordinary Citizen’s” Challenge. Prof Nayak’s move is to challenge the rest of the people around his age who are showing off their fitness activities lifestyle. Prof Nayak has put up the challenge on social media and anybody in the world can take it up.

Speaking to Team Mangalorean he said “ Since a lot of politicians around my age (67 years completed) have been showing off poses lying down on rocks, walking on manicured lawns wearing designer outfits in fitness challenges to each other, I too would like to join is as an ordinary citizen of the nation with my own shirtless challenge. I do challenge them to remove those designer outfits which conveniently hide their fat and flab. Let me state that I do not do yoga, meditation or consume any AYUSH concoctions. I do not pray to any supernatural entity as I have no such beliefs. I do not have any horoscope to be checked by astrologers ( the double s is not a typo) or any numerologist, nadi jotish or any body else for that matter.”

” I am not a devotee of any Godman or woman living, dead, dying in or out of prison. I am not a vegetarian either and do not eat mushrooms or desi ghee and avoid cereals as much as possible. But, I do consume fish, meat, eggs every day. I do eat nuts and raw vegetables but no fruits local or exotic. I do not consume milk or Gaumutra {Cow Urine} or Panachagavya. {a concoction prepared by mixing five products of cow and used in traditional Hindu rituals. The three direct constituents are cow dung, urine, and milk }. People with flabby bodies and paunches wear designer outfits and talk about fitness. They put hands in the air and call it yoga. If you want to do something fit, do something really fit. I do challenge them to remove those designer outfits which conveniently hide their fat and flab.” added Nayak.

He further said, ” I do travel all over the country by flights in economy class and by train -sometimes spending two or three nights continuously in them. Of course these travels have been hampered a bit in the last two years due to security considerations. I reside at Martin Pais Road, near Lalbagh in Mangaluru with my wife Asha who cannot accompany me as she is too busy with her own work as a lawyer. She used to complain for many years that I live outside and come home to get my clothes washed, but for the past two years this has changed a bit as my travels have decreased! To nearby areas I drive down personally and with friends. My travel is paid for by my own funds and sometimes by those who invite me to conduct programs.”

” I don’t claim long working hours but do conduct five day workshops on development of scientific temper with myself as the single resource person. I also conduct short interactions for children in schools which last about 90 minutes to three hours depending on the time available. We have two to three such in a day sometimes. As for my fitness regime I do weights for 30 minutes every day and swim for 30 minutes each in the morning and evening. I hereby throw open this shirtless challenge to the fitness challengers of my age group. Let me reiterate that I am not a body builder or a fitness freak just an ordinary person.

Sources reveal that within a few hours, the post was shared and commented upon by several netizens. “U share the word ‘Narendra’ in common with the fitness challengers (sic),” read a comment. “You have not mentioned your chest size (sic),” read another. “Not 56”. Nowhere near it!,” Nayak responded.