HVK Archives: ET: "Magic lure of ancient cures"
ET: "Magic lure of ancient cures" - The Economic Times
Nasima H Khan
()
22 September 1996
Title : Magic lure of ancient cures
Author : Nasima H Khan
Publication : The Economic Times
Date : September 22, 1996
This article is from an earlier data. It is being sent to
indicate the thinking of the author at that time.
A virtual, stampede on Tuesday, the last of the five-day
Mystique India '96, proclaimed the success of the first-
ever exhibition on ancient Indian sciences, arts and
thought systems organised by the Indian Trade Promotion
Organisation at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
A short distance away, a small but rapt audience in a
darkened hall drank in every word about yoga, meditation
etc, being expounded, by religious men in orange robes.
This was the Fourth NRI Conference, held by the Bharat
Nirman NRI Foundation, and coincided with the exposition.
The popularity of the computer horoscopes and astrology
and palmistry stalls at the fair has surprised the organ-
isers.
"Even on the first day, eager crowds lined up in the hot
sun to consult astrologers or have their palms read,"
says an ITPO official. The chairman and managing director
ITPO, K K Mathur, too was shaky about the event until it
happened. About 20,000 visitors were expected over five
days, but the number crossed 1 lakh people!
Collaborating in the affair were the Department of Indian
Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy, Khadi and Village
Industries Commission and Bharat Nirman.
Says M C Bhandari, president of the foundation and former
president of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of
India: "About 150 NRIs registered themselves for the
conference. They came from Thailand, Singapore, Hong
Kong, USA, France, UK, Germany, Belgium... It was defi-
nitely a great success."
The conference was inaugurated by the minister of state
for commerce, B B Ramaiah, on Friday last. the first
session was devoted to `NRI Investments, Problems and
Laws' and was addressed by a number of experts. Subse-
quent sessions related to yoga and meditation, alternate
systems of cure, herbal medicines etc, all of which
generated considerable interest among NRI participants.
Ancient Indian sciences is an unusual theme for an NRI
conference. Bhandari thinks not. "Indians living abroad
are always hankering after culture, heritage etc. So this
theme made a lot of sense. There was a lot of interest in
herbal cures and alternate therapy."
Were there many qualified doctors among the participants?
Apparently not. "Mostly overseas businessmen who are
exploring the possibility of exporting products based on
these ancient systems of cure," says Bhandari.
Evidently, there has been some positive trade outcome of
the exposition. Dr B S Bansal, a magnetotherapy consult-
ant, who had a stall at the fair, claims to have had some
preliminary talks towards a collaboration with an NRI
settled in the USA about exporting magnets used in curing
arthritis, spodylitis and other bone-related diseases. He
has also received an invitation from Association World
Parapsychology New Consciousness and Healing of Russia to
attend their conference in Moscow in coming November.
Says Bansal: "I have written several books on magneto-
therapy which have been published here and abroad in
Italian and French, besides English. They have generated
quite a bit of interest, and I get enquiries from people
living in the USA, Dubai and other places about importing
the magnets."
The magnets marked by Dr Bansal are procured from Mahar-
ashtra and custom made to his specifications in Delhi.
They are meant to be effective for up to a period of five
years.
A number of stall owners were optimistic that the fair
would eventually result in good export and publicity for
them.
Says Bhandari, "The conference was meant to project the
NRI country's economic and technical fields, but also in
social, cultural, spiritual, educational and other fields
connected with Indian culture and heritage."
Bharat Nirman was set up as a social organisation in 1980
and has taken a lead in rural development, social, educa-
tional, ecological and economic reforms in addition to
the fields of yoga, meditation, the mind, art, culture,
spirituality, astrology, herbal and natural sciences. Its
interest in the role NRIs can play in India's development
began in 1991.
The main objectives of the Bharat Nirman NRI Foundation,
as listed by the organisation, are:
To promote the social, cultural and business interests of
NRIs;
To conduct studies and researches, publish bulletins and
books, organise tours and travels, conduct conferences
and seminars on subjects beneficial to nonresidents;
To give impetus to and make use of technological, finan-
cial and intellectual resources of NRIs;
To provide guidance, help and facilities in the field of
yoga, meditation, herbal and indegenous cure, schooling,
marriage marching, programmes on Indian heritage and
culture, nature and environment;
To motivate NRIs to adopt villages and to contribute
towards other developmental activities of the country.
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