An Immune India

India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Along with this, India is the spectacle of a great population of which promises a better future, which is supported by a large proportion of the youth. Well, the youth and the younger part of the populace must be strengthened in order to prosper and grow at the same rate for a long period of time. And, the strengthening must include not only the educational aspect, but it must cover an overall level of development for the child.

Well, what should we ask first of God in the list to strengthen our youth? Wealth, prosperity, education? No.. We must ask him, and we ourselves must work, on the health of the population. This will ensure that we can strive harder, for a longer time, and that would ascertain that we obtain the success we desire. Health is one of the most important issues we must consider and handle before we work on tackling the other issues at hand.

For this, there is a reason as well, and this was told to me by the pandit who had come to my home for the Ganapati Puja. While going through the chants, he explained to me with a smile that we must ask for a good health first, before the other boons like prosperity, wealth and growth. He went on to say that rather than earning a mountain of money, and then spending wasting it all on hospital bills, we must wish for a good health, which can take us a long way in life such that it makes sure that we live in perfect health to spend our earnings on our desires. So, from that day, I have always prayed for the world to be healthy and immune before anything else.

So, will God come down and offer us his somras so that we remain healthy? No He won’t, so we have to work to ensure that the youth remains healthy.

A couple of months ago, I had to do a lot of reading on the National Food Security Bill, and then I discovered that the main problem is not hunger, but it is malnutrition. UNICEF has stated in a survey that 48% of children below the age of 5 are stunted, and that the percentage of people who do not get 2 square meals a day is just 1% in rural India, and 0.4% in urban India.

Malnutrition is a concept related to the indigestion of nutrients in the human body, due to the factors of the absence of good sanitation and a clean water supply, and also to an unbalanced diet. Our concentration must be diverted to combat these and then we can ensure that the younger India will develop with sustenance.

There is also the scare of the diseases which continue to be born perennially. AIDS and cancer continue to have no definite cure, and that does worry me to a large extent. Fighting these ailments must also be a priority if we aim to have a healthy and immune India. So, how can we ensure that there are new developments in this field? Science is sure taking us at a fast pace through development, but is that the only necessity at hand?

In my opinion, that is the only thing necessary, but to continue the pace of development, we must make sure that the companies and the developers do not come up against a wall due to the absence or the lack of funds to continue their research and development. Along with this, the distribution of the drugs in the form of vaccines (for prevention) and tablets or injections (for the cure) must be developed such that no child in the country goes untreated and unvaccinated.

In all this, we cannot ignore the fact that the population does need the right proportion of nutrients as well, especially the ones needed in minute quantities like iron, which contributes to hemoglobin production. The provision of these methods must go on such that the body obtains a complete and sustained package of healthy food in each meal. And to ensure that the body obtains the optimum results from these perfectly nutritious meals, there must be the enforcement of correct amounts of exercise and also the rights amount of rest and sleep.

So, to sum it all up, I feel that the main necessities we need to enforce for an immune India are:

1. Proper sanitation
2. A clean water supply
3. A funding towards research and development of new drugs to battle emerging diseases
4. The development of a proper distribution system of drugs and vaccines
5. The provision of meals with exactly the right amount of nutrients
6. Daily exercise to remain fit and fine
7. Rest and sleep in adequate quantities for optimum benefits from the above points

This should have been the end of it, but there is a special mention which I must make at this point. There is one thing, a food item, which does contribute very much to the health and strength of a child. To be frank and precise, it contributes quite a lot to the growth of a child. My mother used to give it to me every day with a glass of milk, and I feel that each child must obtain it. I have felt its superb effects, and I’m sure it would surely provide wonderful results to all of its users.

Chyawanprash, which is made from a mixture of ayurvedic herbs mainly comprises of amla and it is known to provide Vitamin C, which works very well as an anti-oxidant and counters the aging process. It has also been known to counter cough, fever, emaciation, heart diseases, arthritis, urinary complaints and coarseness of speech. It gives strength to children, old people, and even to people who are weakened after accidents. It also increases digestive power, intelligence, memory, and it strengthens all the sense organs.

So, after adding Chyawanprash as the 8^th component of my list, I feel that this is all that is needed to ensure that our nation becomes stronger, healthier, and more immune.

This post was written for the Dabur’s Immune India Contest hosted by indiblogger.in. Dabur Chyawanprash was launched in 1949, and has since remained as one of the best contributors to a child’s growth. It is available in various flavors as well, and you can get more information about it by clicking here (www.daburchyawanprash.com).