While Nepali citizens are fuelled with anti-India sentiments as the southern neighbour continues to encroach upon Nepali territory, Nepali politicians choose a different path.
Since time immemorial, Nepali politicians have drawn inspiration from India when it comes to poor governance.
Take for example the strong sentiment for a Hindu nation and claiming cow dung/urine pure as well as medicinal because despite being a secular country the majority population is Hindu and so cow is a scared animal; bulldozing fascist governance systems with no place for dissent despite being a democratic country; ignoring the nation’s poor population; and to name the latest: stunt-laden speeches by the prime minister that acutely lack substance — light candles and diyos to ward off coronavirus and to thank frontline healthcare workers.
Another latest tops the list as local level politicians have began suggesting, or even insisting, on the use of homeopathic medicines to boost immunity against coronavirus.
It has been reported that the ward chair of Bageshwari in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-8, Dinesh Singh, has been distributing a medicine (Arsenic Album 30c) to the local residents stating that it will “provide immunity against coronavirus infection”.
A group of local youths, on behalf of the ward char, began distributing the medicine for free since yesterday. The medicines are being provided by Marwari Sewa Samiti.
Arsenic Album 30c is a homoeopathic pill used for the treatment of arsenic poisoning.
The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) of India in January had released two advisories on the preventative and treatment measures that can be taken for coronavirus.
One of the advisories was using the homeopathy drug Arsenicum Album 30 as a ‘prophylactic medicine’ for the prevention of the infection.
However, many media reports debunked this claim, including India’s popular fact-checking site Alt-News, as there are no published scientific research supporting the claim.
“As with other homeopathic drugs, Arsenicum Album 30 has never been tested or proven to reduce coronavirus infections or to prevent coronavirus infections. Even though the focus was to study the research conducted by the homeopaths, no studies were found by non-homeopaths within the evidence-based framework that suggests the use of Arsenicum album 30 for coronavirus,” Alt -News said.
It added, “The claim of the AYUSH ministry and the AYUSH homeopaths is false, dangerous and can lead to India’s own coronavirus epidemic, as the infected patients’ caregivers can assume false protection based on the government of India’s advisory.”
This happened in India at the end of January and any politician with a mind the size of a pea could believe that no Nepali citizen is going to remember the January incident in May, and hence pushed the debunked theory.
At a time when our already weak healthcare system is being crushed under the coronavirus pandemic, it is vital that the government works with the coordination of health experts and scientists in ramping up tests, following up on contact tracing, providing adequate medical gears, and in overall strengthening of healthcare facilities.
However, politicians have chosen an easier path of giving people not only false but also dangerous hopes that a homeopathic medicine would provide prevention against the deadliest disease in the world.
Doing so certainly helps politicians hide their inefficacy in actually executing hard work to save citizens’ lives. So why should Nepalis waste their lives protesting against India’s tyranny while our politicians are clearly inspired by the southern gurus?
