Withdraw the Position Paper and save NIMHANS: Dr. Srinivas Kakkilaya

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 19, 2022: The Position Paper on Health and Wellbeing, published by the DSERT, Karnataka, for national curriculum frameworks and NEP 2020, is outrageous, outdated, unscientific and frivolous and must be withdrawn immediately in toto, demanded Dr. Srinivas Kakkilaya and few other doctors.

 

We, as former students of NIMHANS, are aghast and deeply pained that such a ludicrous and irresponsible report bears the name of Dr.K. John Vijay Sagar, Professor and Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NIMHANS as Chairperson of the Expert Group. It is also a matter of concern that this expert group on child health and nutrition does not even have a paediatrician as a member. It appears that this position paper is written by Ayurveda and Yoga ‘experts’, inserting all their baseless and dangerous ideas. We urge the Director of NIMHANS to immediately dissociate NIMHANS from this ridiculous report and we also seek the immediate resignation of Dr.K. John Vijay Sagar as Chairperson of the Expert Group. We also urge all the faculties and students of NIMHANS to oppose these attempts to misuse and malign the name of NIMHANS.

The position paper claims about Panchakosha, the five layers (Sheaths) ’covering the atman’. We urge the Director as well as the Head of child psychiatry at NIMHANS to provide proof for the existence of such ’sheaths’ or to immediately withdraw the paper.

The paper also claims several benefits of yoga for mental health of children, without providing any conclusive evidence. NIMHANS must either provide conclusive evidence for these claims or withdraw this paper. Otherwise, by practising such baseless methods, children’s health will be imperilled due to denial of evidence-based methods. The report by UNICEF, titled The State of the World’s Children 2021 - Promoting, Protecting and Caring for Children’s Mental Health and cited in the Paper, does not even have the word ’yoga’, and has been completely ignored by the authors of the paper.

Further, the Paper makes many outrageous and completely baseless claims of gene-diet interactions, natural choice of plant-based food for Indians, plant-based foods being more man-friendly, Indian food culture is proven to be the best etc. Contrary to these claims, a comparison of the Indian diet with the EAT-Lancet reference diet has clearly shown that Indian diets are unhealthy and that Indians consume excess amounts of cereals and not enough proteins. Studies have also reported that 63-79% of our people, particularly in rural areas, cannot afford nutritious food.

The paper makes another false claim that malnutrition has reduced in India from 38.4% to 25% by 2022. The fact is that according to an analysis of the district wise data of NHFS-5, between 2016 and 2021, severe malnutrition in preschool children increased in 341 districts out of 707 and COVID19 related lockdowns and school closures would certainly worsen the situation much further.

While the Position Paper blames eggs and meat for ‘lifestyle disorders’, without citing any evidence, there is now a mountain of evidence available to prove that it is the excessive consumption of sugars such as fructose (fruit sugar) and glucose (malt sugar, cereal grains) that is the most important cause for non-communicable diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, degenerative diseases and even many psychiatric problems such as ADHD, depression, anxiety etc., in children as well as adults. There is also enough evidence proving that eggs and proteins have a protective effect against obesity and other NCDs.

The elaborate study done by the Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayati Raj University, Gadag on providing supplementary nutrition under mid-day meal scheme in Yadgir and Gadag districts has very clearly showed that children of Yadgir who received eggs in their mid-day meal had significant gains in weight and BMI. Considering such improvements, both the state and the Central governments have already decided to extend the provision of eggs in the 7 districts and also now approved similar provision of eggs in other districts as well for 46 days of the year. Therefore, the recommendation of the position paper completely goes against the decision of the Karnataka government. We hereby urge the government to extend the provision of eggs in mid-day meal for a minimum of 150 days.

The position paper makes exalted claims about equality of all children, no Pankti Bedha and Dharma in its bid to deny eggs for children. The above-mentioned study found only 4% of children in Yadgir unwilling to consume eggs and also did not show any ill effects on the minds of these 4% students who opted for bananas. Another survey conducted in 2006, when Mr. Madangopal, now the Chairperson of the NEP Task Force, was the Commissioner in the department of education, showed that out of 58 lakh students then studying in the schools of Karnataka, more than 50 lakhs had opted for eggs in the mid-day meal. With NFHS and all these surveys showing that 86-96% children and adults are eaters of eggs and meat, denying eggs for these children by citing the remaining 4-14% is cruel and undemocratic. If indeed the authors of the position paper are serious about not practising Pankti Bedha or Dharma as they claim, they should allow the majority of children to eat their eggs or other animal-based foods and allow the other children also to decide for themselves about their food choices.

For these self-styled experts who are very fond of Jaiminiya Brahmana, Ayurveda, and such other ancient texts, we hereby suggest the reading of Shatapatha Brahmana (11.7.1.3 and 12.9.1.1), Jaiminiya Brahmana (1.42-44) and Manu Smriti (5:28-33), Charaka Samhita (Sharira Sthana 4:36-40 and 8:16, Sutra Sthana 27), Ashtanga Hridaya (Sutra Sthana 6) and Bhagavad Gita (17:8-10) that endorse, extoll and provide spiritual justifications for eating animal-based foods. We also suggest that they read the teachings and writings of Buddha and Basavanna, the most respected visionary philosophers of India.

Considering all these, this Position Paper, authored by people who have absolutely no knowledge of either the modern sciences or the ancient scriptures, must be withdrawn immediately.

Dr. Srinivas Kakkilaya, Physician, Mangaluru

Dr. Yogananda Reddy, Pediatrician, Ballari

Dr. PV Bhandary, Psychiatrist, Udupi

Dr. Shashidhar Bilagi, Psychiatrist, Bengaluru

Dr. Vasudendra N, Ophthalmologist, Davanagere

Dr Rajesh Pompapathy, Radiologist Sydey, Australia

Dr. Niranjanaradhya V.P., Development Educationist and Chief  Mentor, SDMC Coordination Forum.