IHMA is honoured to extend a warm welcome to the former South African Parliamentarian, Social Activist, and Well Wisher of Homoeopathy and most importantly the Grand Daughter of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi – Smt. Ela Gandhi, on 10th January 2013, 9.30 am at IMA Hall Ernakulam. Ela Gandhi addressed the august gathering of Homoeopathic Fraternity. IHMA is a national organization of elite Homoeopaths of India giving priority to spread the efficacy of Homoeopathy to every nook and corner of our nation and give support to the development and upliftment of Homoeopathy in other nations.
Ela Gandhi was born in South Africa to Manilal Gandhi and grew up in an ashram of the Phoenix Settlement near Durban, South Africa. Ela’s father was involved in the defiance campaign and when she was 15, in 1955, he attended the Kliptown Conference which gave birth to the Freedom Charter. He wrote a piece on the meeting in the Indian Opinion which later appeared in the UN documents. He courted imprisonment and was arrested several times. Ela’s mother, on the other hand, equally challenged the apartheid laws. She started a non-racial school for children at the Gandhi house in Phoenix but was asked by the authorities to close it down as it went against the grain of apartheid policies. She has worked as a social worker with the Verulam Child and Family Welfare Society for 15 years and the Durban Indian Child and Family Welfare Society for five years. Ela continues the Gandhian family tradition of passive resistance.
Ela Gandhi was the VC of Durban University of Technology. Homoeopathy has being taught there at UG and PG levels as BTech Hom and MTech Hom and also in other couple of universities in South Africa. She is playing a vital role in getting a Chair for Homoeopathy in Durban University of Technology. Ayurveda has already got one recently. She has also played an important role in enhancing Homeopathic academic relationship between AYUSH of Government of India and South Africa.
During her interaction with the doctors and the media present at the ceremony, Ela Gandhi recollected that Gandhiji always preferred alternative medicines like Homeopathy to Allopathy as the former looks at the cause of the problem instead of just solving the problem.
She cited an anecdote wherein Gandhiji opted for a simpler form a medication and cure, very much in the lines of Homeopathy, for Kasturba Gandhi during their days in South Africa.
She also emphasised on how humbled she felt at being honoured by IHMA.
The event was presided by renowned Homeopathies. Dr. Sreevals G Menon – National Secretary IHMA delivered the Welcome address followed by a presidential address by Dr. VK Ajith Kumar General Secretary IHMA. KM Habib – Kerala State President IHMA, Esmail Sait – Senior Academician & former principal Govt Homeopathy Medical College, Shaji Poulose, Reji Nicholas and Bindu John Pulparambil IHRC Kerala Director were the other guests who presided the function. ME Prasanth – National Mass Media Officer IHMA delivered the vote of thanks.
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