Author: Supriya Jena

At the 10th World Ayurveda Congress in Dehradun, experts gathered to talk about Ashwagandha, a popular herb in Ayurveda that helps with many health problems. They believe that the bans and strict rules on Ashwagandha imposed by some Western countries are driven by politics and money. For instance, Denmark has completely banned Ashwagandha, while other countries in Europe and the United States have placed heavy restrictions on it, including forcing companies to warn about alleged serious side effects.

In India, Ashwagandha is made from the root of the plant, but companies in Western nations are using the leaves to create food supplements that claim to boost energy. The experts agreed that Ashwagandha has been safe to use for thousands of years, with plenty of research proving its safety.

Ayurveda practitioners, teachers, and industry professionals at the event emphasized the importance of evidence in traditional medicine. They pointed out that misunderstandings about Ayurveda make it harder for people abroad to accept it. To improve this, they suggested that more clinical trials should be done on new Ayurvedic treatments. The results of these trials should be shared widely in journals and online platforms. Additionally, Ayurveda practitioners should work on better documenting their cases and sharing their experiences on educational websites like Ayurveda Clinical e-Learning (AyurCeL)

On Saturday, there was a violent encounter between Manipur Police Commandos and a group of militants in Thoubal District. During the fight, one armed militant was killed, and six others were arrested. Sadly, two laborers were shot and killed by unknown attackers in Kakching District.

The trouble started when armed militants in two cars were spotted by the police, who thought they might be doing something bad. When the police approached, the militants began shooting at them. The police quickly fought back, leading to a fierce gun battle. One militant was hurt in the fight and later died at a local hospital.

Police officials later identified the slain militant as Laishram Prem, also known as Loktak Singh. The six militants who were caught are: Thokchom Momocha (Sunny), Sarangthem Anand Singh (Malem), Ningthoujam Karna Singh (Pishak), Ningthoujam Manoranjan Singh (Khagemba), Thongam Phalguni (Urikpa/Khoithol), and Moirangthem Johnson (Thouna).

The police also found many weapons and electronic devices at the scene, including two INSAS Rifles, an Amogh Rifle, a .303 Rifle, an SLR, and five mobile phones. Police are now checking if the arrested militants belong to any known armed groups or if they are just local fighters.

In a separate incident, sources say the two laborers killed in Kakching were from Bihar and were working in Wabagai Makha Leikai.

Cold weather is still sticking around in many parts of Haryana and Punjab this Saturday. Faridkot is the coldest place in Punjab, with a low temperature of just one degree Celsius! Pathankot wasn’t far behind, dropping to 2.3 degrees. Gurdaspur and Bathinda also felt the chill, with temperatures at 2.8 and 3.4 degrees respectively. Amritsar recorded 3.4 degrees, while Ludhiana is a bit warmer at 7.8 degrees. Patiala had a low of 6 degrees.

In Haryana, Karnal got quite cold too, with temperatures falling to 4 degrees Celsius. Hisar and Bhiwani reported a little more chill at 4.1 degrees. Narnaul felt the piercing cold, sitting at 4.5 degrees. Rohtak recorded 6.8 degrees, and Ambala was a bit warmer at 7.5 degrees. Chandigarh, which is the shared capital of both states, saw a minimum temperature of 6.6 degrees.