Revisiting Ayush Policy

The government is trying to revive the AYUSH sector, but the success of its measures would rest on its ability to establish AYUSH as an evidence-based sector

- Usha Sharma

The tragedy of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) is quite unbelievable! It is one of the oldest traditional form of treatment in the world, which originated almost 500 years back in India. Post independence, it started loosing its grass root presence, which continued for many years. The irony is that since the last few decades, AYUSH is being accepted and appreciated in the west and many countries have started considering it for various treatment, however in India people are more inclined towards allopathy medicines.

How does allopathy get into a vein of Indian?

The term allopathy was invented by German physician Samuel Hahnemann and was practised in America from the period of the American Revolutionary War till 1876, which marks the start of preventive medicine.

If we compare origin and existence of AYUSH with Allopathy in India, we realise that the total number of experience of later method is much less and still it is ruling the planet. So, let’s understand what went wrong especially post independence?

Mahesh K Vahalia, General Manager, Shree Dhootapapeshwar while criticising the allopathy pratice says, “During the british rule everything in India was looked upon as insufficient, improper, first by the Britishers and then by our Indian elite. As a result; we considered Ayurveda as an empirical system without any scientific basis and without much potential. It did not get due attention even post independence.”