How to loosen Delhi tight fist? Try ayurveda

Bengal has lined up different events from October 23 to November 7 for ayurveda’s promotion following a directive from the ministry of ayush

Officials take part in an event at Jhargram on October 23 to observe the National Ayurvedic Day

Snehamoy Chakraborty   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |    28.10.22  : The Mamata Banerjee government is organising for the first time a fortnight-long awareness drive on ayurveda in an apparent attempt to woo the Centre which  has held up the release of funds under various schemes in Bengal.

Bengal has lined up different events from October 23 to November 7 for ayurveda’s promotion following a directive from the ministry of ayush.

Nabanna’s decision to toe Delhi’s directive this year raised curiosity as the state government had not organised anything to promote India’s ancient medicine system or just held a token programme on the National Ayurvedic Day, which is celebrated on Dhanteras.

“This is the first time that the state is elaborately organising the Ayurveda Awareness Fortnight…. It is really surprising as the ruling dispensation here never attached much importance to ayurveda’s promotion, which is perceived to be an agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2016. Besides, Nabanna has always been reluctant to carry out Delhi’s directives,” said a source.

In an order issued by the special secretary of the health department, chief medical officers of health of all districts were asked to observe the Ayurveda Day on October 23 and organise multiple programmes like awareness camps, lectures and health check-ups in various blocks in the following 15 days.

Each district has been asked to hold at least four events during the fortnight, said a source.

After the BJP came to power in 2014, the Centre has been trying to promote yoga and ayurveda across the country.

The Centre announced the observance of the National Ayurveda Day on Dhanteras in 2016.

Dhanteras is considered by ayruveda practitioners as the incarnation day of Dhanvantari — the Hindu god of medicine and an avatar of Lord Vishnu.

“As the event has a Hindutva connection, the state government had made it a low-key affair earlier,” said a source.

A section of officials thinks that the sudden change in  the approach towards ayurveda can be linked to Nabanna’s attempts to please New Delhi at a time the state’s coffers are running dry following the Modi government’s decision to freeze the flow of funds under various central schemes.

“The Centre allots crores of rupees for the promotion of ayurveda and in the last financial year, Bengal had to return around Rs 9 crore as the unspent amount. If the state refrains from organising events to promote ayurveda this year,  it would not send a good message to Delhi at a time Nabanna is trying all out to resolve the impasse over the freezing of the funds “ said a source.

Sumit Sur, the secretary of an association of ayush medical officers in Bengal, welcomed the move of the state government.

“We are very happy that the Bengal government decided to organise a fortnight-long celebration to promote ayurveda for the first time. We expect it would be continued,” said Sur.

Multiple sources at Nabanna said the state was also complying with other orders and suggestions from Delhi to present a good image before the Centre when top bureaucrats from Bengal were actively lobbying the Union government for the regular flow of funds.

The Bengal government has recently appointed ombudspersons under the MGNREGA in all 23 districts following instruction from the Centre.

The move will ensure transparency in the scheme as the ombudspersons — who are independent individuals — will be able to inquire into complaints lodged by the beneficiaries of the 100-day rural job scheme.

“The Centre had been asking the state to appoint ombudspersons under the 100-day job scheme for the past few years. But all the pleas had fallen on deaf ears. But when the Centre stopped the release of funds under the scheme alleging financial irregularities, the state hurriedly appointed the ombudspersons,” said a source.

The state has also asked district administrations to ensure that gram sabhas are held in three tiers of the panchayat system. At the gram sabhas, panchayat functionaries need to take note of citizens’ suggestions and grievances.

“This is a mechanism to stop corruption at the grassroots level. But the state was not taking initiative to hold these meetings until the flow of the funds from Delhi stopped,” said another official.