The Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE) on Tuesday, January 21, came down heavily on the Indian Institute of Technology - Madras (IIT-M) director V Kamakoti’s claims that cow urine could cure ailments like fever and irritable bowel syndrome. Terming the statement irresponsible, the association said Kamakoti was using the institute to spread a political ideology linked to the BJP.
Sharing an anecdote about a sanyasi who reportedly recovered from a high fever after consuming cow urine, Kamakoti during a ‘Go Samrakshana Sala’ event on January 15 said that cow urine possesses anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and digestive properties, which he said could cure ailments like fever and irritable bowel syndrome.
Despite the comments drawing criticisms, Kamakoti on January 20 doubled down on his previous comments citing five academic papers that allegedly ascertain these claims scientifically and added that he consumes Panchagavya, an ayurvedic concoction, consisting of cow urine, cow dung, milk, ghee, and curd.
GR Ravindranath, general secretary of DASE, said, “The cow urine cannot cure any disease. E. Coli is the most infectious among 14 types of bacterias that present in cow urine, causing diarrhoea and vomiting. The director is using IIT(M) to spread a political ideology.” He added that many BJP leaders have been making statements of similar kind.
He said that the consumption of Panchagavya – mostly containing cow dung, causes the disease Cysticercosis. It is an infection caused by the larval stage of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. It occurs when a person ingests the eggs of the parasite, which can lead to the formation of cysts in various tissues of the body, including the brain, muscles, and eyes.
Ravindranath noted that no medicine can cure a disease in 15 minutes. “Nowadays, people are suffering from various fevers. If people follow this kind of advice and don't intake the right medicine at the right time, it leads to their death,” he noted.
He said that the consumption of Panchagavya also led to Mad Cow Disease. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects cattle. Humans can contract a variant of this disease, known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), by consuming contaminated beef.