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Binoy Viswam Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) 116, North Avenue New Delhi - 110 001 Mob: 96057667022 E-mail: binoyviswam55@gmail.com Partisan orders of Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences Statement issued by Binoy Viswam, Leader of CPI Parliamentary Group & Secretary, National Council It is deeply unfortunate that even during a pandemic that has claimed over 3 lakh lives and infected more than 2.26 crore people in India, the Central Government is engaging in partisan behaviour and continuing to promote its narrow self-interests. On 12th may 2021, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush, directed State & District authorities to disturb Ayush-64 through a private organisation, Sewa Bharti, that is closely related to the RSS. The order appears to make Sewa Bharti, the sole NGO collaborating with the Government over the project to distribute and document the use of Ayush-64 to asymptomatic and mild to moderate Covid-19 patients. Beyond the tirelessly engaged Government officials and functionaries, the Covid-19 pandemic has seen a wide array of civil society organisations, citizens collectives and individuals come forward to provide assistance to the Government in combating the pandemic. These organisations and individuals have shown exemplary courage and service to the nation as they have sacrificed their own lives and provided relief in circumstances where even the Government has failed to do so. However, at no point has the Government appointed a single organisation to collaborate with it on a Covid related project across the entire country. It is therefore difficult to comprehend as to why such special treatment has been given to Sewa Bharti, beyond its obvious connections to the RSS and the Central Government’s desire to gain political mileage from the same. At a time when the nation requires assistance from all quarters, it is unacceptable that one organisation, with clear political connections, is being given sole space to collaborate with the Government on vital projects such as this. I, therefore, call upon the Minister of Ayush to withdraw the above mentioned order and allow more organisations to collaborate with the Government on this project. 24th May 2021 Binoy Viswam |
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Member, Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Member, Consultative Committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change |