Global Centre for Traditional Medicine

In general, in India, all of us have grown up using home remedies coming from traditional knowledge. To us it is neither unusual nor spectacular. In developed countries however, such usage is limited. A classic example is of the attempt to patent the use of haldi. As also, in part, that of Neem or Basmati rice. These gave all of us quite a shock. 

On 19th April this year, PM Modi, along with WHO DG Dr Ghebreyesus and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth laid the foundation stone for the WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar in Gujarat. The first of its kind, the GCTM will be a global outpost centre for traditional medicine across the world

"When India is celebrating 75 years of its Independence right now, this ground-breaking ceremony for this centre marks the beginning of a new era of traditional medicine in the world during the next 25 years," Modi said on this occasion. "Looking at the increasing popularity of holistic healthcare, I am confident that traditional medicine and this centre will help thought  become very important for each and every family of the world after 25 years, when India will be celebrating 100 years of independence

The GCTM is a knowledge centre for traditional medicine. As part of WHO’s overall traditional medicine strategy, it has a strategic focus on evidence and learning, data and analytics, sustainability and equity, and innovation and technology to optimize the contribution of traditional medicine to global health and sustainable development. At the same time, respect for local heritages, resources and rights is a guiding principle.

The WHO anticipate that harnessing the potential of traditional medicine would be a game changer for health when founded on evidence, innovation and sustainability. India’s support for establishing  the Centre as a global good and in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kudumbakam: the world is one family.

https://www.who.int/news/item/25-03-2022-who-establishes-the-global-centre-for-traditional-medicine-in-india

Jamnagar already has the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, (ITRA). Established in 1967, ITRA or Gujarat Ayurved University is the first university to offer education and training in the field of Ayurveda across the world. The institution was formed by an act approved by Gujarat State legislative Assembly in the year 1965. It is devoted to Ayurvedic studies and Research and is administratively associated with the Health Ministry at State and Centre level. This university is a self-governing institution supported by the Government of Gujarat State.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/foundation-stone-for-who-traditional-medicine-centre-laid-in-jamnagar/article65336264.ece

Next :  Kendriya Vidyalayas

Previous : Endometriosis

Endometriosis

Amrita is a very close friend of my daughter since their school days. She recently underwent endometriosis excision surgery but to get there has been a very long and painful journey. She has written about it in the hope that it spreads awareness about this debilitating condition that affects hundreds of millions of women around the world.

https://medium.com/@amritarajagopal/is-this-thing-on-e0681392ba85

Do read the link

Next : Global Centre for Traditional Medicine

Previous: Some Issues with Halal Certification

Some Issues with Halal Certification

This is in continuation of the earlier post. Halal (from the Quran) means “permitted” or “lawful” and is used for food and other consumables that are permissible for consumption by Muslims, based on Islamic Shariah law. It may be recalled that the government body, FSSAI doesn't give halal certification in India. Halal certification is given by Muslim private bodies, and their guidelines do not permit non-Muslim employees to be engaged in any part of the slaughtering process which has to conform to the intrinsically Islamic practice including reciting verses from the Quran.

The trend of Halal certification for meat / other food and non-food products is continuously increasing. While Halal meat is said to be healthy, the anti-halal lobby claim that Halal certification is also a business model that makes others pay for the Islamic beliefs; Muslims call this Islamophobia.

Ever since I became aware of the Halal Certification process, I have become more alert. I am a vegetarian and am happy to say that none of the products I consume, whether food items or cosmetics etc. have this certification. However, my readings on this topic have thrown up some issues especially related to meat consumption.

• In Jan 2021, APEDA amended their manual and clarified that govt does not mandate that only meat slaughtered by Halal method as per Islamic Shariyat, has to be exported, it is the requirement of the majority of countries importing the meat*.  

https://www.theweek.in/news/biz-tech/2021/01/05/apeda-drops-halal-certification-in-red-meat-manual-says-no-govt-role-needed-for-exports.html

• A well-known boarding school in India specified Halal certified meat only in their tender. This was objected to on grounds that the tender for Halal meat is an insult to other students and community.
• In Indonesia, a Muslim body was taking steps to provide Covid vaccine with halal certificate, in their endeavour to boost immunization process in the Muslim-majority country.
• Some of Delhi’s Municipal Corporations recently mandated that meat shops and restaurants to display whether meat sold by them is ‘Halal’ or ‘Jhatka’ on grounds that that halal meat is prohibited in Hinduism and Sikhism.
• Christians in Kerala decided to boycott Halal meat and products saying they cannot consume meat offered to other gods.

https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/ahead-of-christmas-christians-in-kerala-decide-to-boycott-halal-meat-hindu-group-extends-support/695123

 I now leave some questions open to all, more specifically the non-vegetarians.

1.    How comfortable are you in eating meat where the animal has been slaughtered while reciting verses from the Quran? 

2.    While buying from meat shops or eating meat in roadside dhabas, restaurants or even five star hotels – how frequently do you ask if the meat is Halal or Jhatka? 

3.    Have you ever checked if there is a Halal certificate on any of the products you buy?

4.    What is the quality certification given for Jhatka meat?

5.     Should Halal certification apply to vegetarian eatables, cosmetics, packaging etc.

(* The following paragraph was removed from the manual, “The animals are slaughtered by halal system under strict vigilance of (a) recognised and registered Islamic body as per the tenets of Islamic Shariyat. The certificate for halal is issued by the representative of registered Islamic body under whose supervision the slaughter is conducted in order to meet the requirement of (the) importing country.”)

Previous : Halal Certification

Halal Certification

In respect of meat, we have all heard of the two methods of killing the animal. In Halal, the animal is slaughtered slowly with complete draining out of the animal's blood, while following practices of Sharia law. In Jhatka (swift), the animal’s head is severed in one single blow and the animal dies instantly. Muslims eat only Halal meat believing it is healthier as the animal is not given a shock, whereas Sikhs are said to prefer Jhatka meat. However, the matter does not end here.

If products are to be sold to countries following Sharia Law, they require Halal certification.  This has important implications:

a) The certification is not restricted to meat / food products only, and can be obtained for non-alcohol beverage, pharmaceutical and health care products, traditional herbal products, cosmetics and personal care products, etc. 

b)  The process of halal involves a laid down procedure which can generally be done only by Muslims. Butchers across the country mainly follow this. There are facilitating firms that help in the audit of the business which also comprises obtaining the certification compliant with Halal requirements, Halal systems requirements and Halal staffing requirements. The implications are that Halal requirements are to complied with, in all aspects, including raw materials, packaging etc. 

c) The certification has a cost implication – both one time as well as repeated, and is not given by any GOI body but by private Halal certification bodies. Government of India has its FSSAI certification which can be seen on almost all the processed foods.

https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/how-to-get-halal-certification-in-india/

Halal marks vary and might also have the countries name - eg India or America, but might look like this

Many well-known Indian brands are embracing halal-certification to get a better foothold in markets of other countries. Fresh meat brand Licious says that they have decided to supply only Halal meat as business policy, apparently KFC and McDonalds serve only halal products.

The implications of this extend to vegetarians too if they buy halal certified products – in that Sharia Law has been followed/Quran verses might have been recited somewhere along the process. And that costs might include some money being paid to Halal Certification Authorities – the whole  practice is something which personally I am not comfortable with.

https://www.opindia.com/2019/10/halal-certification-of-vegetarian-products-its-no-longer-about-choice-but-making-others-pay-for-your-beliefs/

This is a long post which I have split in two, the next on recent developments and protests, will follow.

Next: Some Issues with Halal Certification

Previous : Manipulated Media

Manipulated Media

It is indeed unfortunate that well-known TV personalities and journalists have taken to spreading false news and deliberately faking videos, to spread misinformation, in a very big way, across the country and abroad. Two of my earlier posts on fake news are Fake News by our Media and More Fake Stories

Two issues were raised in the past week, both related to UP which is headed for polls next year. The first was on purchase of some land by Ramjanam Bhoomi Trust on which enough clarifications have been given. The second, which, to me is of greater concern, is the deliberate falsification of a video in the attempt to inflame passions (of Muslims and the world).

The video was posted - why sans any audio soon became clear. It showed a few youngsters, beating up an old Muslim man Sufi Abdul Samad Saifi, and cutting his beard. The subsequent narrative given by the victim, apparently in the presence of Umed Idris, a leader of the Samajwadi Party was that this was done (at gun point?) to force him to chant “Jai Shri Ram”. Turns out that Saifi used to sell tabeez and the wife of one of the buyers, who wore the tabeez, suffered an abortion. In their anger some guys (both Muslim and Hindu) thrashed the man and chopped off his beard.

And what was made of this incident – totally fabricated and totally meant to fan communal hatred? And done by muting the video so that truth would not surface!!

Mohammed Zubair, the co-founder of Alt News has himself accepted that the videos he had posted is false and that he has deleted his tweets/ videos. But this tweet and this video was retweeted by many including the famous – or rather infamous - Rana Ayyub, Salman Nizami, Dr. Shama Mohammed, Maskoor Usmani, Saba Naqvi, The Wire, The New Indian Express, HT Delhi to name a few. There are several others including Rahul Gandhi who apparently also tweeted about this incident.

https://twitter.com/zoo_bear/status/1404836394371977216?s=1005

It may be recalled that Twitter had marked Sambit Patra's tweet on Congress’s  toolkit – as "Manipulated Media" on the strength of a fact check by Alt News. But very obviously Alt News is a questionable source – creating their own falsities.

More details can be read here: https://www.opindia.com/2021/06/thequint-withdraws-its-cartoon-defaming-jai-shri-ram-chant-after-ghaziabad-hate-crime-turns-out-to-be-fake/

(Care: Op India is pro the current Govt).

#Altnews #FakeNews

Next: Halal Certification

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