For thousands of years, Ayurveda kept blooming in the villages and cities of India. Treating thousands of patients with natural remedies, it often made its way to the tabloids for miraculous cures. But the sceptical minds of our modern society silenced the voice of Vedas. Even after years of independence our ancestral treasure remained chained with doubts and mockery.
Ayurveda was fading from our memories. Yet no Indian government took an initiative to redeem this traditional system of medical practice. Though many politicians benefitted from traditional healing, no one spoke of it in public. They were reluctant to acknowledge the reliability of this system because of the stereotypes. Some even dismissed it as a placebo!
But Ayurveda found a light of faith in the roars of P.M. Narendra Modi.
In 2014, India embraced a revolution when Narendra Modi took the oath as India’s Prime Minister. This man with a mission had a plan to change the face of India in the global dais. From uplifting India’s traditional practice of medicine to establishing India as an economic superpower, the Modi had big plans right from the beginning.
Also Read: Jeevaka – one of the Legendary Ayurvedic doctor in history
Narendra Modi – An eminent Patron of Ayurveda
Narendra Modi’s thrust in Ayurveda goes back a long way. Even before he became the Prime Minister of the Nation, Mr. Modi never shied away from showing his faith in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. He made numerous contributions in the early years as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The then CM inaugurated a new research facility at Gujrat Ayurveda University in 2011. And during the inaugural event, he quoted, “Ayurveda is an age-old system of medicine. There is a need to re-establish it in the world’s holistic healthcare market. If this can be done our farmers will start growing medicinal herbs. And this will be an instrumental step in capturing the world market outdoing China.”
This born leader saw opportunities and scope in Ayurveda while others were busy discussing hardships and obstacles!
Narendra Modi – A Practitioner of Ayurvedic Lifestyle
The honourable P.M not only preaches Ayurveda; he is an ardent practitioner of this science.
Modiji’s love for Ayurveda is not just because it evolved in India; it is also because the Prime Minister personally benefitted from it. It is his personal experiences coupled with the selfless goal of wanting fellow human beings to benefit from this lifestyle that has made Modi a champion of the cause for wider recognition of Ayurveda.
In a recent interview with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, Mr. Narendra Modi revealed his association with Ayurveda. He fondly said that he led a tough life, the Prime Minister never used expensive medicines.
Mr. Modi was happy to share some Ayurvedic tips that he practices.
The Prime Minister relies on warm water and fasting for fighting cold and flu. His simple solution for the blocked nose is putting a few drops of mustard oil in the nostrils at night. He also recommends Castrol oil for skin protection. The Prime Minister narrated how castor oil protected him from heat and sunburns on a trek to Kailash Manasa Sarovar.
For long-distance walks, the PM keeps an ‘Assamese Gamusa’ handy. Tying the cloth around the affected part helps in relieving pain. He further revealed that he never expresses anger as it leads to negativity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also a big fan of Yoga and Meditation. His day begins with Yoga and Meditation. He is a vegetarian and his dietary regime resembles the recommendations by Ayurvedic doctors. Narendra Modi also practices Dinacharya and Ritucharya as per Ayurvedic scripts.
Narendra Modi’s roar for Ayurveda
Just when the waning voice of Ayurveda needed a loud roar, the rousing speeches of Narendra Modi thundered in the podiums across the globe. From the first day, PM Modi highlighted the importance of developing evidence-based researchstructures in Ayurveda. He believed scientific validation could make Ayurveda a global trend in the 21st century.
He established a separate ministry, AYUSH, dedicated to the Indian Traditional Medicine System. AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) fuelled the researches on ancient systems of medicine. It validated several ancient practices with scientific shreds of evidence.
AYUSH is playing an instrumental role in re-establishing the reliability of Ayurvedic practices.
It was his unflinching belief in Ayurveda that paved the way for WHO to set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India. It is the relentless efforts by the Modi Government that AIIMS now has a separate department for Ayurveda. AYUSH Ministry did set up chairs in 20 foreign universities for popularising AyurvedaOn the occasion of 5th Ayurveda Day, Mr. Modi inaugurated two future-ready Ayurvedic institutes in Rajasthan and Gujarat declared as ‘Institutes of National Importance’. An Institute of Teaching & Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur. Both of these are premium institutions of Ayurveda in the country.
The NDA Government is also working towards introducing this traditional system in all sectors of the public health care facility. Thus, making this obscured healthcare system available and accessible in the country!
Funding for R&D
Establishing a body was not enough, it needed proper financial aid for top-class researches. In the first term of Modi Government, the budget for R&D of Ayurveda surged to Rs.1069 crores. Six years later the budget has doubled to 2,212 crores for the year 2020-21.
This clearly shows the emphasis of the Modi Government on upscaling our traditional skills.
A study by the CII pegged the current size of the Indian Ayurvedic Industry at $4 billion. While the modern healthcare industry sits at $60 billion. The Modi Government lays a courageous plan to skyrocket the market of Ayurvedic medicines to $9 billion by 2022.
This sure is audacious but not impossible with a man like PM Modi rotating the wheels!
Impeccable Branding of Ayurveda
Apart from exhibiting excellence in politics, Mr. Narendra Modi flaunts the traits of ace businessmen. He understood the value that branding could bring to Ayurveda. And thus, he created a global wave that resonated with the brand ‘Ayurveda’.
The Indian Prime Minister saw a bridge where India could serve as a healer to the ailing community of this modern world. And in return, the nation could once again climb the stairs of glory!
PM Modi has spoken about our Vedic literature in many forums. Be it in India or abroad, many speeches by this man have stimulated the world’s interest in Ayurveda. He has even convinced the leaders of the most powerful nations to try and trust Ayurveda.
That’s one of the many reasons why the world looked up to India for preventive care against the SARS COV-2 pandemic. During the pandemic, Narendra Modi tweeted on the use of Ayurvedic remedies to boost immunity against the virus.
From Tulsi tea to Chyawanprash, Ashwagandha and Giloy, Mr. Modi shared priceless home remedies on his Twitter handle. He attended and organized meetings with Top researchers and leaders discussing the role of Ayurveda against COVID-19.
The man never misses a single opportunity to promote the possibilities in Ayurveda. Fuelling the blazing trends of ‘Vocal for Local’ or ‘Make In India’, the PM is further pushing this indigenous Indian heritage into the global market!
Narendra Modi – Taking Ayurveda to the World!
Under the brilliant leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, Ayurveda is gaining ground across the globe. The AYUSH Ministry is planning to provide loans worth 5000 crores to encourage the establishment of AYUSH related clinics. The Ministry also plans to create at least 1 lakh jobs and see a transfer of up to 20% patients to Ayurveda and allied medicines with this champion project.
After setting a thriving trend of Yoga across the globe, Mr. Modi promised world-wide recognition for Ayurveda in his April, Maan ki Baat address. He pleaded the youth to conduct more researches on Ayurvedic treatises and help him to make Ayurveda a globally accepted, recognized and celebrated phenomenon!
While most businesses struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic, Ayurveda witnessed an astounding surge in the demands. It was Mr. Modi’s trusting words on Ayurveda that pushed the use and research in Ayurvedic products during the Corona period.
In the past few years, doctors are already considering an integrated approach to healthcare with modern medicines and Ayurvedic therapies. With this strong-willed man on the wheels, the day is not far when Ayurveda would be called the pathfinder of the healthcare industry.
1 comment
[…] Also Read: Narendra Modi – A big fan of Ayurveda […]