Letter to the Readers, Mainstream, Nov 30, 2024

Letter to the readers, Mainstream, November 30, 2024

India stands constitutionally committed to promoting a scientific culture in society. In 1976 the 42nd Amendment incorporated within the Constitution of India —clause (h) of Article 51A, calling on every citizen "to develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform." This near 50-year constitutional incitation has not taken off, we sadly remain a society steeped in superstition, blind faith, and unreason. There is quite an influence in society of God men, faith healers and vendors of magic remedies with no basis in science and represent a danger to public health. Thanks to public-spirited doctors, India’s courts have had to repeatedly step in to curtail the powerful Ayurvedic outfit called Patanjali over its deceptive advertisements of its products that claim to cure practically everything, including Covid-19. Recently, a popular public figure a former cricketer and politician went overboard on social media with unproven claims about curing cancer via a dietary cure. He drew flak from prominent doctors and oncologists who spoke out against any neglect of medical treatment and warned the public over misinformation regarding cancer cures [1]. This compelled the politician to step back. Public figures & showmen must show restraint in pronouncing over matters of health and leave the scientists and doctors to do their job. Over the past ten years the Narendra Modi-led Union Government has not helped by pushing AYUSH instead of modern allopathic medicine [2]; replacing the Hippocratic oath for doctors; not taking action against charlatans pushing fake cures; & taking us on an anti-science route [3]. Since mid 2023 major science topics —the periodic table of elements, Darwin’s theory of evolution, the Pythagorean theorem have been dropped from school textbooks [4]. Socially committed scientists & doctors must keep alerting the public against snake oil magic remedies. Secular opposition parties must commit to promoting science education and a scientific temper in society and inside their parties.

30 Nov 2024 —HK