Any chronicle of the development of Nature Cure system in India will be incomplete without a note on the contribution of Gandhiji, to the system of Naturopathy in general and to Indian Naturopathy in particular. He was not just a firm believer in Naturopathy, he practiced what he preached. There are scores of instances where he experimented with the system on himself and his family members. Through innumerable articles, books and commentaries on the science of Nature Cure and its benefits Gandhiji supported the system. Primarily, it was Henry Salt’s book, ‘A Plea for Vegetarianism’, which showed him, why apart from a cultural habit, and his vow to his mother, it was right to be a vegetarian. He was also influenced by Howard William’s ‘The Ethics of Diet’ and Anna Kingford’s ‘The Perfect Way in Diet’. According to this movement, vegetarianism is in spiritual harmony with the rest of Nature. Man does not have to kill to eat. The vegetarian diet is the healthiest and the most economical one. It pre-supposes the most efficient use of land and is least violent in its approach. Hence, vegetarianism is considered as an ethical necessity, fostering values of humanitarianism and non-violence. Gandhiji saw that a man should eat sparingly, fast now and then, become moderate and err on the lower side rather than overeating. He started gaining more knowledge about health from manuals and by experimenting on himself and his family. When his wife Kasturba became pregnant in 1897, by reading manual on obstetrics, he delivered in the delivery of their son Ramdas and later, in the year 1990, Devdas in Durban (South Africa). Gandhiji strongly believed that Nature Cure system alone provided scope for self health reliance and one need not depend on the doctor or medicine. A Naturopath takes steps to cure himself by eliminating poisons from the system and takes precautions against falling ill in the future. Gandhiji once said, “I have indulged in vice, I contract a disease, a doctor cures me, the odds are that I shall repeat the vice. Had the doctor not intervened, Nature would have done its work, and I would have acquired mastery over myself, would have been freed from vice and would have become happy. The fact remains that doctor induces us to indulge and the result is that we have become deprived of self-control and have become effeminate.

Gandhiji was greatly influenced by Adolf Just's book, 'Return To Nature' and Louis Kuhne's 'New Science of Healing: His first experiment on hydrotherapy was on his ten-year-old son, Manilal, when he fell ill with typhoid complicated with pneumonia in 1902 in South Africa. The 'No Breakfast' campaign of Manchester greatly helped relieve Gandhiji of his occasional headaches and constipation. Fasting for him was not just a therapeutic tool but a weapon to realise his political commitments through non-violence. He strongly advocated prayers (Ramanama) for body, mind and soul. He said, 'God has many names. Each person can choose the name that appeals most to him, Ishwara, Allah, Khuda, God etc:' Gandhiji once said, "A Nature Cure man would not tell the patient 'invite me and I shall cure you of your ailment. He will only tell about the all-healing principle that is in every being, and how one can cure oneself by evoking it and making it an active force in his life. If India could realize the power of this principle, not only would we be free, but we would be a land of healthy individuals too— not the land of epidemics and ill-health that we are today:' Gandhiji was strongly opposed to the perception that Nature Cure is expensive, more than the Ayurvedic or Allopathic medicine, and he once declared, "if this is proved to be true I shall admit failure". In addition to treatment for their ailments, poor patients will also be taught how to live healthy lives. His motto was/self reliance (Swawalambana) is possible only when there is self-health reliance (Swasthyawalambana). Gandhiji had written innumerable articles and books on Nature Cure. To name a few books, 'Key To Health', 'Nature Cure', 'Food and Food Habits', 'Prayer', 'Ramanama' were very popular and inspiring. He laid founded a Nature Cure hospital at Urlikanchan, near Pune in Maharashtra with the sole aim of providing Nature Cure treatment exclusively to the rural poor. To this day, the Urlikanchan hospital's success is an active testimony to the ideals and values of Naturopathy cherished by Gandhiji. Many prominent followers of Naturopathy were inspired by the practice and preaching of Gandhiji into establishing institutions of learning and Nature Cure hospitals all over India.

It is very crucial and essential for naturopaths to understand the Gandhian values in adopting Naturopathy as a viable and sustainable option to deal with health needs of the people. Firstly, Naturopathy is a system that evolved from people and not from laboratories. Secondly, it offers solutions which can be self-practiceable and one need not wait for a doctor or technician or any external source, even for day-to-day ailments. Thus: the adage goes “once a naturopath, always a naturopath'; the one who is trained to look for solutions from within. Health-self-sufficiency is the crux of the matter. Naturopaths have to revisit this self-sustenance philosophy with all seriousness so that the present day health scenario - where health is externalized and all solutions come from outside - is making people completely dependent and left to the whims of the markets. These market forces are manipulating people's minds to indulge in out-of-pocket expenditure on medical needs and, according to a World Bank report; it is leaving many families bankrupt. We have a responsibility to reverse this.

 

 

 

 

Prof.(Dr.) K.Satya Lakshmi

Director

 National Institute of Naturopathy,Pune

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