The wave of change

As Delhi wakes up on this Sunday morning, the mood is not as it used to be on a regular winter Sunday; wallowing inside the blanket, drowsiness reigning supreme. The waking up has just transformed into awakening. Out of nowhere, a party formed by a few far-sighted individuals, with the sole weapon of honesty, has turned the tables on the incumbent government. Yes, it's the wave of AAP : Aam Aadmi Party.
Disposed off as "a unit of a few broom wielding men hailing from Ghaziabad", by the grand old lady of Delhi, Sheila Dixit, CM for the last 15 years; AAP has put the Congress in a position where it sees itself without a roof on its head. The current opposition party, BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) would also rue the fact that it underestimated the power of the common man and allowed complacency to creep in it's political campaign in the national capital.

The upsurge of this party reiterates the strength of democracy and voice of people. It also reflects that the idealogy and the conceit of a person is more important than the money and resources used for a campaign. The mudslinging and vote bank politics that has become a way of life in India has taken a brutal blow and the AAP was able to instigate the Delhiites and even people from other states and countries to give support and raise voice against the traditional governance that is ruining the image of Indian polity for the last 6 decades.

The credit of instilling faith in people, giving them self-belief and providing a vision goes, without a doubt, to Arvind Kejrival. Mr. Kejrival, not only optimized the limited resources exceedingly well but also had the courage to lock horns with Mrs. Shiela Dixit from her own constituency--New Delhi. The 10 constituencies in the central part of the capital are considered a bastion of the Congress but Kejrival dug deep and was able to select candidates for all of them and give a tough fight.

Though, it is still precocious to say what will the scenario in Delhi be; a hung assembly or a BJP lead government, but atleast one can say with certainty that the AAP has given an alternative to the young India as well as the urban middle class. Hope that the promises made turn into action as we progress into an era of a non-Congress rule in the capital.



Udit

Domiciliary Remedies

In this era of technology and pretence, where life saving and growth facilitating tools and equipments have become the definition of medical aid and progress, conceiving the concept of traditional methods of medication and remedial therapies is considered obsolete, if not a blunder.

We come from the land of Ayurveda, inheriting the wisdom of our ancestors who intermittently emphasized on the importance of using natural and eco-friendly substances as an elixir to get rid of any ailment and ensure a holistic growth.

Going by the methodologies adopted by our perspicacious forefathers, it becomes imperative for us to stay rooted and use the traditional "nuskhas", given to us through repetitive whims of our nanimas and dadimas, who encouraged us to use indegenous products made from no or minimal artificial or synthetic substances. "Traditions are meant to be followed", is a proverb that hold pertinence in this regard. If our good old grandmother has been given the importance of indigenous and herbal remedies, it's quite certain that, with due respect to modern science and its complexes, there is a kernel of truth involved in our age old methods. It leaves me flummoxed sometimes to see Indians thinking twice before consuming something indigenous. Why is there an ironic drift towards extraneous healthcare and products. Have we become slaves of flashy advertisements or we paranoid of our inherited knowledge.

Since the time of Patanjali, Charaka and Sushrutha, there has been some deeply followed and scientifically proven steps as to how to go about providing care and providing a shield to a newborn till he reaches a stage when the bone and tissue formation is complete. Centuries have gone by, adopting this method, oblivious to the chagrins of the West. But, suddenly, in this age of information technology and the axiom of "jo dikhta hai, wo hi bikta hai", we have started to create a chasm, a steep one, where we have enslaved our precious pearls of domiciliary remedies to the barbarian synthetic traders. Daily use baby products like soap and baby oil are essential for ensuring strong bones and soft skin. Products like Mughli ghutti, Chyavanprash and honey are also benefactors to toddlers. These products cannot be found in any allopathic lexicon. Giving a Dashmoolarisht is better, way better, than giving that paracetamol, which not only is noxious to a baby but also causes drowsiness. apparently, the Food and Drug association (FDA), has also come out with a list of medicines and drugs that cannot be administered on children of specific age groups citing their side effects.

The wonders of traditional knowledge our not just limited to infants. Adults, pregnant ladies and old people also benefit equally through its vast bounty of herbs and extracts. Consuming turmeric-milk fosters quick healing, Shilajeet is equivalent to what the Ranbazy and the Pzier call the viagra, Saunf (Aniseeds) become our traditional mouth freshner, wheres Heeng (Asafoetida) revs up the digestive process...the list is not exhaustive by any stretch of imagination. Specially, during the formative years of a child, Ayurveda has a plethora of products to offer, from hair oil, to the body oil for that tender maalish, that forms the crux of his physical development So, why do we need to look for alternatives manufactured by these multinational conglomerates which are half as effective and twice as costly?

Products like Tulasi, Neem and Aloe Vera have also captured the fancy of the West and they have imbibed Ayurveda with more dedication and prudence than Indians!

The time to cling on to these traditional therapies for sustained results. They not only give us results without causing any unwanted effects but help us save money and value our indigenous knowledge. It gives India that edge in the universal cosmetic sphere, which it deserves; it's the land of Ayurveda afterall. 

The one that is grown on our land,

Nurtured by our muddy hand.

Day by day, we see it grow,

Reaching high from a low.

Culminating into something big,

Withering, Standing, doing a jig.

Protecting it from external danger,

Shielding it like a lone ranger.

This article has been written as an entry to the Indiblogger contest : Traditional Knowledge, Natural Growth sponsered by Dabur Lal. Click to explore more about this herbal oil from India's leading company, Dabur.

Udit Bhatia