Al Akhbar supplement, p.7, (21-4-2007)

My stomach was treated through my toe

By: Diaa Al Hagri

I had an appointment with my friend Dr. Rajesh Sharma, professor of political science at Delhi University. He promised to give me as a gift his new book on the balance of powers in South Asia. I knew that he was the author of several writings on West Asia, the name given to the Middle East in India as they reject the latter saying it was coined by the western colonial powers.

I looked for Dr. Sharma in his office, but I did not find him there. I was told that he was sitting in the university cafeteria with some colleagues. So, I went to see Dr. Sharma in the cafeteria, but I did not find him there too. After some inquiries on my part, some students directed me to a place where Dr. Sharma was sitting with a number of male and female professors. Having taken off their shoes and sit on a bench, they were talking while having tea and beverages. I joined them immediately and felt as if I was setting on a bench in an Egyptian village talking friendly and exchanging my life experience with others, or as if I was attending a study forum with old Greek philosophers or inside Al Azhar Mosque.

Dr. Sharma talked to me about his memories with Amr Moussa when he was the ambassador of Egypt to India. He told me how the ambassador used to encourage him to write studies on the Middle East and visit him as a close friend. After a while, Dr. Sharma took me by hand saying: "Let's go. I have prepared a surprise for you, one that you would never forget." When we went out of the university, he asked: How did you come here? By Taxi, I answered. He said reproachfully: "You wasted your money. Taxi fares are high in India."

We went, for a little while, on foot. In a side street, rickshaws were lining up. Dr. Sharma jumped in one of them saying: "Come on, you are in India. You should be simple." The driver of the three-wheeled vehicle went on around several streets skilfully avoiding all other vehicles. I asked Dr. Sharma: "Don't you have a car?" He answered: "I am not so rich." He explained that when he was appointed as a professor, he received an apartment from the university, which was a great privilege that enabled him to marry in an early age. But, the university will take back the apartment when he gets to the retiring age, the age of 58. Hence, he has to save some money out of his salary that he may be able to buy himself and his family a new apartment after retiring.

The driver took us to a spacious square and stopped in front of a huge building with a board saying: "India's Exhibition of Spiritualities". Dr. Sharma said: "This is the surprise." We went immediately into the exhibition where various Indian heritage arts were displayed. At the beginning, I heard a voice calling me. When I approached, I found two men sitting on the ground in front of a chair and having some simple tools. One of them asked: "Do you complain of anything?" I answered: "I have slight stomach-ache, maybe because of eating hot spices." He said: "sit down and take off your shoes and socks." He put some white powder on my toes and gently pressed certain places in my toes with a circular piece of wood. Then, he smiled and said: "Maybe, you feel better now." I really felt much better. I extended my hand to him with a banknote. But, the man refused to take it and gave me a card having the address of his clinic and his phone numbers. He said this treatment session was for advertising only.

In one of the wings, there is a technique of treatment using laughter. Everything you have to do is to join one of the laughter clubs which are spread all over the country. Members go to parks or beaches and start to laugh in a collective way. Laughter removes worry and strengthens the immune system. It also treats colon diseases. There is also a wing for treatment with oxygen. You can pay three dollars and enjoy inhaling pure oxygen while listening to music.

To the right and lift, there are several wings that show different ways of treatment: treatment with flowers, music, herbs, yoga, contemplations, and massage. These are called alternative medicine methods.

I started to think deeply about the credibility of the Indian alternative medicine and whether it has become necessary in view of the increase of the cost of medicine. While thinking, I received an invitation for attending an international conference for treatment with urine which would be held in the city of Madras on the east coast of India. At the beginning, I thought that treatment with urine is conducted through local application of urine on wounds due to poisons it contains that kill bacteria. But I was astonished to know that the patient drinks limited amounts of his own urine. Strangely enough, Indian researchers presented a woman who was cured from cancer after using this technique.  I was very astonished when I witnessed the large number of global scientists participating in the conference. I saw India with all its contradictions: its huge technological progress in electronics and science together with its traditional ways of treatment.

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