Dr. Rajeshwari Girijamani on anti-vaccination
Raji (Dr Rajeshwari Girijamani) is a homeopathic doctor, an accomplished Udisi dancer, has a balance between her home and clinic which is in the same premise, takes care of 76 years Amma, her mother-in-law, with uterine malignancy, a God loving human being, she has introduced us to amazing South Indian food and above all a caring person. I have been interacting with her for the past ten years. We are part of the same spiritual group and have immense love and unlimited faith for the same spiritual Guru. She translates whatever Guru says word to word to Malayalam for those who do not understand English or Hindi. Not only I but all who know her depend on her for her advice for everything, medicine and spirituality, included. Recently in July 2021 I asked her views on vaccination. Her son Shankara (Dr. Shankara Laxmikant), also a homeopathic doctor, was sitting with her during our conversation. I am recording the conversation in third person.
Shankara was born on 29th October 1998 when Raji was 23. She was in her final year when she consciously conceived early (as per Kerela standards), to have a friend in her child. She had her baby a week after her exam. After 18th day of the delivery her house surgeon internship started. She went driving herself inspite of having a C-section. She had to undergo caesarean as there was a loop which would hamper normal delivery. She openly expresses love for him, did not create any sense of fear in him and let him play in mud, rain and sun. Raji considers these as important aspects of a healthy life. Many women would do all these but there is something Raji did few women or men would even think of. She did not vaccinate her child!
Being in the medical line she could share a few factors otherwise people are unaware of. Primary health Centre (PHC) keeps record of vaccination. First the District then the State Health Department contacted her regarding her not vaccinating her child. They said that if her child would not be vaccinated he would spread infection. She said she would compensate if anything happens but she also warned the authorities if her child got infected because of all others who were getting vaccinated then the State would have to compensate. She was seeing that children were getting all diseases even after getting vaccinated against them. When they tried threatening her that the child would not get entry into the education system she responded without fear that she would home school the child and make him join her husband’s business. In her journey her husband had complete faith in her and stood by her side in all her decisions.
Her child did get into formal education. Dr Shankara Laxmikant has a record of not missing a single day of school or college due to ill health. When eleven years old he did get affected by measles but that was during school vacation time. He and his cousin are very close. His cousin got affected and was hospitalized. Shankara would go to see him and through him Shankara also got badly affected. His father would sit by his side and cry seeing his state but did not lose faith in her way of treatment. Guru told her to get over her rigidity. She did go to another doctor for consultation but he too accepted her treatment.
Once COVID spread she continued to treat patients, affected with the virus, in the same manner as usual. She would not wear a mask and comfort them physically. All patients tested negative after coming to her as they would be free from fear of the disease. She has a pile of negatively tested reports after getting treated by her. No one has compelled her so far to get vaccinated for COVID. Shankara shared a site where one can complain if compelled to take vaccine. Her faith in the natural way of living and dying is rare in today’s date. She would always take bath first thing after coming from her clinic and before food, maintained cleanliness and had nutritious food. Her advice to patients also is based on building immunity to fight viruses and maintaining basic cleanliness. Her attitude strengthened them to overcome disease even those that are contagious.
Why do I need to talk about Dr Rajeshwari Girijamani and her outlook towards vaccination? Because I have slept under the stars (https://bula1957.medium.com/sleeping-under-the-stars-63a7f84b235e / 01.08.2021) I have memories of the same, just as a generation who have done that. But if I do not know of a life I will not even have memories. There will be few who even know that a healthy life is possible without taking vaccines. Since there has been large-scale creation of fear of a virus and death via the virus, people blindly take vaccines to justify their own faith in science. Attempts have been made to wipe out the natural science of health through keeping the immunity intact, but it revives as it is natural (https://www.facebook.com/groups/drkhadarlifestyle).
I learnt about the anti vaccine campaign through Dr. Prabha Krishnan in 2002. She made 90 slides about Polio. Before that I heard on the radio in the afternoon news that the World Bank had given 600 crores for Polio vaccination. Thanks to Dr. Vinayak Purohit I had developed a healthy disrespect for World Bank’s aid to countries (https://medium.com/@bula1957/obituary-to-dr-vinayak-purohit-e2d35fe15e08 / May 25, 2020) which remains. Obviously Polio vaccination had created an inquiry in my mind which Prabha’s slides had answers. The gist of the slides growing from 90 to 150 in 2004 was that sanitation, nutrition and cleanliness awareness lead to betterment of human health. Simultaneously the capitalist world using science created fear of death in the human mind (as if human beings could become immortal and I remember Christopher Marlow’s Dr Faustus) and could promote vaccines without going into what made the vaccines and how they were made. Injecting blindly stuff into the body to buy time! In the case of polio vaccine it is taken from apes and has the possibility of spreading HIV/AIDS. Fear can make many not only blind but even deaf and dumb but not all! Just like everyone I am caught in the net of acquired knowledge, rather what universe has given me scope to see! Raji came with her experience of vaccination or should I say anti-vaccination in my life when I was not expecting at all. I thank the universe for whatever it gives with gratitude, another quotient of good health.
Sharing a few links for those who want to know more about anti vaccination history and campaigns.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(20)30227-2/fulltext 08.08.2021/12.20 p.m.
https://ftp.historyofvaccines.org/multilanguage/content/articles/history-anti-vaccination-movements 08.08.2021/12.22 p.m.
https://theprint.in/opinion/pov/telegram-to-instagram-india-anti-vaxxer-group-is-growing/663610/ 08.08.2021/12.30 p.m.
