Gautam Gambir was in the news with his refreshing display of conviction and guts to stand behind his statements after he got his hand slapped by the IPL for making a frank observation about the Rajastan Royals.
He and Ashish Nehra have incurred the displeasure of the Health Ministry who is upset that they went to Sri Lanka for Ayurvedic treatment. The reason for this distress is that this may spark a trend of players seeking treatment outside the country when similar excellent conditions exist within India.
Who the eff is the health minister and his babus to tell anyone how to get themselves treated? Is there now a law in place curtailing and Indian citizen's options to receive health-care to the ones existing within India? Instead of putting in place irrational mandates like these, shouldn't they be focusing on making health-care affordable and available to the millions who languish in the dreadful conditions within the country's civil and municipal hospitals? Apparently the ministry intends to make a major push for Indian medicine systems at the Commonwealth Games. Wouldn't the government be better off ensuring that there will actually be a Commonwealth Games? The organizers are months behind schedule in getting the facilities ready to host the games.
Is it me or is that there seems to be at least one report every day of blatant violation of an individuals freedom of choice in India? Between the moral police, the fundamentalist right-wing political groups and a government with misplaced priorities, doesn't it feel like India is headed towards an Orwellian society?
