Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Examine charges

The questions raised by CPI (M) MP Brinda Karat on some of Baba Ramdev's Ayurvedic formulations (allegedly containing extracts of human and animal bones), and labour relations need to be thoroughly examined. The behaviour of the Yoga guru's followers only gives rise to the suspicion that something is amiss. It is quite puzzling that the saffron brigade should react so strongly against Ms. Karat. The people have a right to know what goes into the medicines they consume.

P. Venkatesh,
Salem, T.N.

Ayurveda is a noble and traditional system of medicine. It will be unfortunate if its practitioners are found guilty of polluting it. A more stringent Drug Act and its implementation are the need of the hour. It is shocking to find politicians giving the issue a conspiracy colour. Medicines involve human lives and are not something over which political charges can be traded.

P.V. Ariel,
Secunderabad

No one can beat politicians in making issues out of non-issues. The Ramdev controversy is another example. The questions relate to adulteration and labour relations. But political parties have given the issue an entirely different colour, projecting it as an attack on Indian culture, religion, yoga, and so on. The Government should take the allegations against the pharmacy seriously as it involves health.

Nishant Pathak,
Ballia, U.P.

Ms. Karat is denigrating time-tested Indian practices. She should direct her energy against multinational research houses that conduct trials on a minuscule number of patients and extrapolate the results by statistical jugglery, exposing innocent humans to serious health hazards. She should not waste her time on small pharmacies without verifying whether the procedure or extraction is prescribed in Ayurvedic pharmacology or not.

O. Srinivas,
Visakhapatnam, A.P.

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