Prime Minister Modi, in his address to the nation on April 14, announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3. India’s Coronavirus Positive patients have gone beyond 10,000. APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the developments. Anchorperson Neha Dubey spoke to panelists including urologist Dr Raman Tanwar, cancer specialist Dr Anshuman Kumar, Homeopathy expert Dr Sudhir Tomar and chairman, PSRI Hospital, Dr TS Kler.

Dr Tanwar said: “Coronavirus symptoms take time to show, which is why precautions are needed to control its spread. Due to the lockdown, the rise in numbers has been manageable. In the US and the UK, the situation is quite bad, and greater management logistics are needed there. The decision to extend the lockdown is good. The economic costs are small in comparison to the gains we expect.”

Dr Kumar said: “Coronavirus cases are on the rise. And in the coming days, the numbers are bound to rise. It’s important to arrest this trend. You can’t see everything from the global perspective. Our population is far greater than any European or other nations. The lockdown will lead to a delayed rise in cases. The virus is not going to end. Ultimately, we all will have to go through herd immunity. We have to see per area population.”

Dr Tanwar said: “We should understand that this is not the time to conjecture. We should not try to create a scare. If the existing cases are in isolation, the numbers will be arrested. Hotspot identification will help to segregate such areas to look at further isolation. If 60 percent of the population is infected, then it leads to herd immunity and the virus is less likely to spread further. It’s important to remain positive.”

Dr Kumar said: “Doctors must present a realistic picture so that proper actions can be taken at the societal level in time. The reality is that cases are bound to rise. Even the lab testing is not as much as is required.”

Dr Tomar said: “We could look at homeopathy since the vaccine will take time. I would recommend patients to try homeopathy treatment. We could show result in three hours.”

Dr Kumar said: “In allopathy, we see antigens and antibodies. How to check the response in homeopathy? If homeopathy helps, that’s good because even the proposed vaccine will take time.”

Dr Kler said: “We have not seen any studied scientific result through homeopathy. It was important to extend the lockdown. The coming days are crucial. In the next ten days itself, we shall see the result of this extended lockdown.”

Dr Tanwar said: “It is true that in areas where social distancing has not been followed, like Mumbai’s Dharavi, and in certain areas of Jharkhand, there has been a rise in numbers. That’s why it’s important to maintain social distancing.”

Dr Tomar said: “I would say there’s no harm in trying homeopathy since there is so far no medicine to deal with it in allopathy.”

Dr Kumar said: “We are allopath doctors. And we believe in evidence. Homeopathy was started in Germany, why they did not take the homeopathy route in Germany?”

Dr Tomar said: “Homeopathy came from Germany, but there its practice is next to nil. Allopathy is a science that goes on evidence. 98 percent of treatments in the world are through allopathy, but right now the crisis is such that there is no treatment. The vaccine will take time, there are a lot of able scientists but till one may look at homeopathy. I have treated thousands of viral patients. This is not a debate on allopathy and homeopathy.”

Dr Kler said: “There should be no fear, it’s not that the disease is spreading through quarantine centres. One thing we would like to see is that there should be more testing. It is important to test immunity, through the antibodies test, for example.”

Dr Tomar said: “Homeopathy has effective immunity-boosting cure. In three hours’ immunity improves through homeopathy.”

Dr Anshuman said: “This is no time to debate. If there is a way out in homeopath, please go ahead. In allopathy, we too evaluate immunity.”

Dr Kler said: “To try an alternative therapy, there is a protocol that needs to be followed and the patient needs to be informed of that. Also, I would like to reiterate that emphasis must also be given to the mental health of Corona patients and also those in quarantine or isolation. Those on quarantined must be counselled so that they do not feel any stigma or shame.”

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Vignettes from Jaipur Lit Fest 2017

The tenth edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival kicked off on January 19. It was attended by an array of glittering literati and the masses. On the first day, footfall touched an unprecedented 9,000, as reporter and author of Street of Eternal Happiness Rob Schmitz’s talk became the big hit of the day. Speaking of talks, Sadhguru’s chat with festival organiser Sanjay K Roy also attracted eyeballs, while at the bookstore Paul Beatty’s The Sellout was the unchallenged bestseller.

The second day saw a footfall of about 10,000. About 25,000 visitors are expected over the weekend. Anand Neelakantan, SS Rajamouli, Rana Daggubati and Sudha Sadanand’s conversation on Baahubali drew the crowds on the second day while Patrick French’s talk on Magna Carta was a hit on the third. Devdutt Pattanaik’s mythological fan fictions and Gulzar’s ‘Suspected Poems’ were, respectively, Day 2 and Day 3 bestsellers.

Here are some photographs capturing moments from the festival:

THREE’S COMPANY: Dancers pose for the perfect picture

WISE MAN FROM THE WEST: Writer-translator Roberto Calasso

CAGED THOUGHT: An installation at the fest

LONE SENTINEL: A guard doubles as a model

RAPT: A variety of listeners at the talk on ISIS and the current geopolitical environment

WHAT COLOUR DO YOU CHOOSE? More ‘cartists’ get ready to ferry passengers

–Photos and Text by Sucheta Dasgupta

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