Baba Ramdeo vs IMA controversy

 

Dispute between Baba Ramdeo and IMA is an untimely and unnecessary one. When India is battling against the pandemic like Covid-19, who said what? and Which therapy is better than the other ? is absolutely unwarranted. Even if Baba Ramdeo has said something about Allopathy, he quickly regrets and withdraws his statement after receiving a letter from Union Health Minister, Shri Harsh Vardhan ji. The entire controversy had to be stopped then and there but again he issued a letter against IMA and sought answers to 25 questions, over which IMA got fumed and issued legal notice to the Baba and threatened him of taking to the court in a 1000 crore defamation case. 

All these developments seem immature and a reflection of lack of maturity from the people holding positions in big organisations, be it IMA and its president Dr. J A Jayalal or public influencer like Baba Ramdeo ji. Moreover, when this is done in public domain, when people are badly suffering on health count and have absolutely no hope from anywhere, this is a demoralising one. This needs to be stopped immediately from both sides else it would lower the credibility and respect for both the parties involved in the skirmish. If IMA takes the issue further it will provide an opportunity to the alterego to bring on fore that on many occasions IMA has opposed the integration of different pathies in the course curriculum prescribed for MBBS, as well as it has opposed tooth and nail any attempt to start any certificate course for practitioners at village level etc. There are statements in public domain, which are equally derogatory, if not more, made by different practitioners and office bearers of IMA against the utility and validity of Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Medicines. Following are the quotes from an article published in LIVESCIENCE.COM, authored by Christopher Wnajek, he holds a Master of Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health, 

"At worst, ayurveda is a billion-dollar business of sham cures based on astrology, gem healing, psychic healing, mantras and pop culture, spun through either fraud or naiveté. One concern is the herbal concoction given for treatment. Heavy metals have long been part of the ayurvedic tradition, and a 2004 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the 20 percent of herbal remedies sold around Boston had harmful amounts of lead, mercury or arsenic.

Another concern is the diagnosis, based on unconventional methods of pulse-taking and other bodily signs to determine the levels of vata, pitta, and kalpha. The treatment, depending on your healer, will likely take into effect the position of the planets, because Mars is related to blood and the liver, and Venus, you may have guessed, is tied to impotency." 

"IMA Announces Mass Petition Movement Against Ayurveda Doctors Performing Surgery, News 18 India," 

Gurugram doctors to protest against decision to allow Ayurveda practitioners to perform surgery" 

Never been any such statement questioned or challenged by Union Health Minister of India or IMA. There are many occasions when even in SC, IMA opposes prescription of allopathic drugs by the practitioners of Homeopathy  or other systems of medicines. While allopathic practitioners prescribe Ayurvedic Medicines like LIV-52 and other, as a matter of right.This all goes to prove that there is an issue of deep sense of supremacy of allopathy among the practitioners of this pathy and deep disregard for Ayurveda and other alternate systems of medicine.  

 In such circumstances pulling guns against a Baba, who has done considerable work in improving public health by motivating people to undertake Yog and Pranayam as daily practice, seems to be unmindful and self harming. At the same time, people like Baba Ramdeo, whose statements are taken seriously by many of its followers should also exercise utmost restraint in making any public statement against any Practice of medicine be it Allopaty or otherwise. Hope this storm in a drop will die soon.