Chandigarh: Renowned Ayurveda proponent & an Ayurveda Acharya Manish has unveiled a unique initiative – ‘Right to Health Campaign’. Acharya Manish has been propagating Ayurveda since 1997 & is also the founder of the Ayurveda wellness label ‘Shuddhi Ayurveda’, which has its corporate office at Zirakpur near Chandigarh. Acharya Manish formally announced the ‘Right To Health’ drive by holding a special unveiling of the campaign in a press meet held at Press Club here. The campaign’s tagline has been innovatively coined as ‘Ayurveda ko hai ab ghar ghar pahunchana! Ayurveda doctors Dr. Geetika Chaudhary & Dr. Suyash Pratap Singh were also present.
Acharya Manish believes that Ayurveda – a herb-based Indian medicinal system is a prerequisite to attain the objective of ‘right to health’ for every Indian. Acharya Manish said, “‘Charak Sanhita’ says that the motive of Ayurveda is to keep a healthy body disease free and remove disease from roots in a diseased body. Ayurveda also means complete knowledge of life. So this is not just a medicinal protocol but a way to lead life. “
Acharya Manish further said, “’The ‘right to health’ is failing to be effective because of lack of awareness about Ayurveda’s potency to contribute to ‘holistic health’. It is only Ayurveda that improves one’s health to counter attacks by pathogens & this has been proven well by immunity boosting Ayurveda medicines being used during this the COVID pandemic. So it will not be wrong to say that ‘right to health’ is merely a myth without ayurveda.”
Acharya Manish added, “We chose to time the start of campaign during the COVID era as Ayurveda has come into prominence during this unprecedented pandemic due to its efficacy against COVID. The campaign is a tribute to India’s herb based medicinal science. Under The ‘Right To Health’ initiative which will run for 6 months, we will generate awareness about the importance of Ayurveda & allied healing methods through media, focused events, and by initiating ‘advocacy measures’ with the central & different state governments. A social media campaign is also on the anvil. The ultimate aim will be to provide citizens’ ‘right to health’ through Ayurveda.”
It is to be noted that Acharya Manish & his legal team through the campaign also want to bring into focus Article 21 of the constitution which guarantees protection of life and personal liberty to every citizen. The SC has also held that the rights enshrined in Article 21, are derived from the directive principles of state policy and therefore includes the ‘protection of health’. Also, World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as ‘A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity.’ So for making this health definition of WHO a reality, protocols which not only treat medical conditions but also counter their occurrence, work on physical and mental wellness care needed.
However, there are major concerns. While on one hand the constitution guarantees ‘right to health’ which can be achieved via Ayurveda, but on the other Ayurveda is being subjugated vis-a-vis allopathy. Allopathy is still the first line of treatment and not Ayurveda and Ayurveda practitioners are discriminated against. Acharya Manish further said, “Allopathy has everything to do with a diseased body and very less to do with countering ‘getting infected’. On the other hand, Ayurveda works on detoxification of the body so that a disease does not occur, it has allied aspects like yoga, panchkarma etc which also provide comprehensive health.”
Acharya Manish added,”Our Ayurveda label ‘Shuddhi’ means ‘Purification’ and all our well researched medicines approved by AYUSH also work on the principle of detoxification.” Acharya Manish is happy with certain developments like decision of WHO to establish a traditional medicine center in India, nod given for specific surgeries to Ayurveda doctors etc however there’s a lot to be done. Under the campaign top government functionaries will be asked to establish an Ayurveda board, and to make ayurveda the first line of treatment or at least provide it equal stature to allopathy to begin with. Acharya Manish summed up, “We are also planning major judicial activism measures to provide Ayurveda its rightful place by filing a PIL in the High Court of Punjab and Haryana.”