Thread by @kikumbhar

Some intriguing headlines regarding d President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) appeard on Indian RW media yday. As usual OpIndia's took the (cowdung)cake: "IMA President wants to use hospitals to convert Hindus." For someone interestd in IMA's history, this was imp stuff

I read the "incriminating" interviews of Dr Jayalal. And also d OpIndia etc content thru cached pages (in the hope that my clicks don't boost the views of what is the most hate-filled media platform in our country). Unsurprisingly, it was d usual Hindutva paranoia on display..

Here are those interviews of Dr Jayalal. These interviews paint a picture of a publicly religious biomedical doctor, which is not uncommon (tho something I personally dont appreciate)

haggai-international.org/in-the-name-of…

christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/march-…

Overall, I was not much impressed with Dr Jayalal's interviews (in keeping with IMA's overall unimpressiveness). But I also did not get the impression that he is out there to convert India's lakhs of medicos to Christianity! That hallucination comes only courtesy dOpeIndia.

This special targeting of IMA could have something to do with their public opposition of the crony capitalist Baba brand of Ayurveda. As for their general views on Ayurvedic physicians vis-a-vis modern medicine, thats been on since 1928, and even before that. Nothing new there.

Its also imp to note that IMA itself is an out-and-out Hindu male-dominated body of doctors (similar to Ayurvedic councils). Almost all their presidents in 90 yrs have been privileged caste Hindu men. Therz probably been one woman, two Muslim, and no Dalit or Adivasi president.

In short, Opindia et al concocted yet anoth Hindu khatre mein hai story by blowing up the religiosity of one Christian head (tenure one year) of a Hindu-dominated association, that represents thousands of mostly Hindu doctors, in a Hindu majority (& majoritarian) country.

This episode is partly reminiscent of E. Sreedharan's acts as Metro chief, wherein spreading the Gospel of Krishna among his employees was considered totally cool. It was even labeled neutrally as 'spiritual' (and not 'religious' or 'Hindu')
india.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/a-c…

This explains well d RW focus on Dr Jayalal. Its not xctly abou some1 bein overly religious (to d point of bein absurd) in a secular nation - in that case, d whole country wud b amused at Modi PMing us - but abou a non-Hindu daring to be that in public (=nefarious 'agendas' etc!)