The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Reporters' Diary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Reporters' Diary

Residents associations in the city are the latest to be gripped by the globalisation fever.

Constituted as neighbourhood groups to take up local issues affecting citizens, at least some of these associations seem to be stepping out of their shoes to take a swipe at national and global issues.

The other day, during the visit of the External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, to the city, one of the apex neighbourhood groups demonstrated its global outlook. In a memorandum submitted to Mr. Singh, the Confederation of Residents Associations highlighted the need for steps to establish a rail link connecting India to Pakistan and China.

The letter argues that the rail link to China will help open up the trade and tourism sectors to South East Asia. Not to lose sight of its local mandate, the confederation urged the need for a rail route from Shanghai to Thiruvananthapuram via Myanmar.

The plea for a rail link with Pakistan has been backed up by the potential to improve personal contact between the people of the two countries. The memorandum also invokes a proposal mooted by Winston Churchill during the Second World War to open up a rail route between Asia and Europe via Iran.

At a function organised at the Ayurveda College Hospital on Monday to inaugurate the new facilities there, the two Ministers present - the Minister for Health, Kadavoor Sivadasan and the Minister for Cooperation, M.V. Raghavan - had but one thing to say.

Both lamented the manner in which the scientific and traditional system of medicine was being flaunted carelessly in the tourism circuits. The authenticity of Ayurveda was being eroded by those who were merely glamorising it, they said.

Ayurveda was not just about rejuvenating massages, but only this aspect was being bandied about, while nothing was being done to make known the efficacy of the system, they said.

Mr. Sivadasan said that he had been indisposed for quite a few days because of various health problems. "I was on various drugs and was laid up flat on the bed for eight days continuously. But an Ayurveda `marma' specialist had me up and about in no time that today, I could walk to the Assembly to attend the session." he said.

and C. Maya

By T. Nandakumar and C. Maya

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala