More than 5,000 years ago, Yoga came into existence as an ancient Indian science of healing and wellbeing. Yoga is one of the oldest holistic health care systems, not just because of its fundamental healing approach but also for its benefits for physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
Translated from Sanskrit, the classical language of India, the word “yoga” means “union,” or “to join or yoke.”
On 27 September 2014, at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, proposed an International Day of Yoga during his speech.
Well, the theme for this year’s Yoga Day is ‘Yoga for Well-Being’ and how the practice of Yoga can promote the holistic health of each individual”. But today, I might wish to draw attention to the recent conflict between Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Yoga Guru Ramdev Baba on ancient Ayurveda and modern Allopathic practices.
Tradition vs modernity conflict in India represents the past pushing back against the present to reclaim importance and dominance.
In the past few weeks, a war of words has triggered between the Indian Medical Association and yoga practitioner Ramdev on an issue over the two methods of medical treatment – Ayurveda and Allopathy. The question is which of the two techniques is simpler.
This conflict between Allopathy and Ayurveda is ancient. It’s believed that the utilization of Allopathy started within the 16th century. At that point, there have been no doctors. Rather Acharya, Vaidya, Rishi and Hakim want to treat people. The methods of treatment were also quite traditional and different.
The recent debate began after yoga guru Baba Ramdev raised questions over Allopathy. The Indian Medical Association expressed their displeasure over this. Ramdev later retracted his statement. But the controversy has not ended.
Doctors and scientists believe that modern practise should be called Evidence-based medicine. Their reasoning behind this is often that any drug or treatment method has got to undergo comprehensive research and test during this method. And therefore, the whole method is predicated on a research project.
Ayurveda, on the other hand, one among the traditional methods of treatment, is taken into account to be 3 to four thousand years old. While Allopathy is that the modern method of treatment, Ayurveda is that the ancient method of treatment.
In the last century, life science has made incredible advances everywhere in the world. Overall death rate decreased, the expectancy of life increased, tons of latest lifesaving drugs discovered and new advancement within the field of technology has boosted the capacity of recent science.
It is said that Allopathy saves 20 lakh people per annum within the world, and it’s estimated that by 2030, 7 crore deaths thanks to 10 diseases will be averted thanks to allopathic medicines.
Still, most of the world population, mainly in developing and underdeveloped countries, doesn’t have access to modern medicine and depends on the time-tested traditional/alternative or complementary systems of drugs; many of those systems are far older than the allopathic medical wisdom. Therefore, the main questions still exist-
whether ‘Health for beat 21st century’, WHO global health policy is often possible without scientific integration of traditional herbal medicine in clinical practice?
India may be a land of various individuals who have their religion, beliefs, culture, language and dialects. Thus, diverse medicinal systems have developed within the region. A variety of medicinal systems also introduced and enriched in India. Since ancient time, Indian society depends on traditional medicinal systems practised here. Still, about 70% of the rural populations of India are believed in traditional medicine for primary healthcare.
Ancient practices like Yoga and Ayurveda is well recognized in Asian countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh. In Japan, the Osaka school of medicine formed the Society of Ayurveda in 1969; Ayurveda is also popular in Thailand and Myanmar. The education and practice of Ayurveda are flourishing in many nations of the USA. Yoga & Ayurveda is increasing in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Czech Republic, Greece, Israel. Countries like South Africa, UAE, Russia, Sweden, Indonesia, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary have acknowledged Ayurveda. Several other countries are on the verge of doing an equivalent.
In Africa, nearly 80% of the population uses such medicine for his or her primary healthcare. In China, it had been estimated that traditional herbal medicine accounts for 30–50% of the total medicinal consumption. Most people (around 60%) use conventional herbal drugs as a primary line of medicine, countries like Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, and Zambia. In Australia, about 48%, in Canada 70%, in Germany 80%, in USA 42%, in Belgium 39% and France 76% of the population uses traditional/complementary medicine a minimum of once. Around 75% of the HIV positive/AIDS patients living in San Francisco, London and South Africa use traditional and medicine. In Malaysia, people spent more on traditional medicine than allopathic drugs. The importance of herbal medicines in terms of healthcare provider and the economy is growing steadily. Therefore, India features an excellent opportunity to market ISM, which will help boost the country’s financial condition and stand us as the global leader in ISM.
Overall, adequate knowledge about the system, top quality clinical test, proper information about such drugs, and their effectiveness among folk are required to promote such medicine. Utilizing such medicine alongside conventional drugs surely put more values to market health or cure diseases in a better way. Therefore, mainstreaming ISM alongside allopathic drugs and a healthy lifestyle are going to be helpful to supply healthcare service in absolute best thanks to all people not only in India but around the globe.
As Swami Sivananda explained, “Yoga is that the passkey to unlock the realms of Peace and Bliss, Mystery and Miracle.” I conclude with a healthy suggestion
to both IMA and Ramdev Baba to return along and have Shirshasana and Savashana together and celebrate International Yoga Day together!
