Walk into any ayurvedic store and you can easily buy a bottle of “gaumutra”; one need not have a medical prescription. The cow’s urine, or “gaumutra” as it is commonly known, has immense therapeutic value and is used in the treatment of various diseases in the traditional Indian medicinal system. Used in many formulations, it is considered the panacea for a host of ailments, ranging from constipation to cancer. Many, who believe in this curative system, have stood benefited. But still, the majority of people, particularly the urban class , has an obnoxious feeling about it and considers it sub-standard — something that belongs to the “uneducated” and “orthodox” class. But there are a lot many people who, in the face of these unsubstantiated critique and the wayward trolls, don’t take offence and stand their ground. They do have a reason, a valid one — we have failed to establish the medicinal properties of “gaumutra” as per the modern scientific parameters, thanks to our ignorance and carelessness towards our heritage.

The country is facing an unprecedented crisis in the second wave of COVID-19; the impending third wave looms large. At a time when the scientists are struggling with the virus mutants, BJP MLA Surendra Singh from Uttar Pradesh comes up with a suggestion that seems bizarre, to put it mildly. He said that the spread of COVID-19 can be stopped by using “gaumutra’ as he demonstrated that five bottle capfuls should be mixed in a glass of water and gulped down. He claimed that the secret of his health, “despite working for 18 hours a day”, was “gaumutra”. Well, in this hour of crisis, when everyone is anxiously waiting for his or her turn to get vaccinated, such out-of-the-box advice will hardly prompt anyone to walk into an ayurvedic pharmacy for “gaumutra”. When it’s about making choices in the face of an existential threat, most people will obviously go for a safer option, i.e. vaccination. The general populace is not at fault but only those who claim to serve the cause of ayurveda and other indigenous medicinal system. Well, the desired results have not been obtained but with the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy purposed with developing education, research and propagation of indigenous alternative medicine systems and the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog formed in 2019, one can only hope that our indigenous medicinal system and traditional knowledge and breeds are not lost.

Walk into any ayurvedic store and you can easily buy a bottle of “gaumutra”; one need not have a medical prescription. The cow’s urine, or “gaumutra” as it is commonly known, has immense therapeutic value and is used in the treatment of various diseases in the traditional Indian medicinal system. Used in many formulations, it is considered the panacea for a host of ailments, ranging from constipation to cancer. Many, who believe in this curative system, have stood benefited. But still, the majority of people, particularly the urban class , has an obnoxious feeling about it and considers it sub-standard — something that belongs to the “uneducated” and “orthodox” class. But there are a lot many people who, in the face of these unsubstantiated critique and the wayward trolls, don’t take offence and stand their ground. They do have a reason, a valid one — we have failed to establish the medicinal properties of “gaumutra” as per the modern scientific parameters, thanks to our ignorance and carelessness towards our heritage.

The country is facing an unprecedented crisis in the second wave of COVID-19; the impending third wave looms large. At a time when the scientists are struggling with the virus mutants, BJP MLA Surendra Singh from Uttar Pradesh comes up with a suggestion that seems bizarre, to put it mildly. He said that the spread of COVID-19 can be stopped by using “gaumutra’ as he demonstrated that five bottle capfuls should be mixed in a glass of water and gulped down. He claimed that the secret of his health, “despite working for 18 hours a day”, was “gaumutra”. Well, in this hour of crisis, when everyone is anxiously waiting for his or her turn to get vaccinated, such out-of-the-box advice will hardly prompt anyone to walk into an ayurvedic pharmacy for “gaumutra”. When it’s about making choices in the face of an existential threat, most people will obviously go for a safer option, i.e. vaccination. The general populace is not at fault but only those who claim to serve the cause of ayurveda and other indigenous medicinal system. Well, the desired results have not been obtained but with the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy purposed with developing education, research and propagation of indigenous alternative medicine systems and the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog formed in 2019, one can only hope that our indigenous medicinal system and traditional knowledge and breeds are not lost.