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Dr. Anand K Chaudhary, a distinguished Ayurveda expert and Professor in the Department of Rasashastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana (Ayurvedic Pharmaceutics) at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to permit the use of mercury in ayurvedic medicines which is vital for preserving their potency.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr. Chaudhary articulated the Ayurveda community’s full support for the Minamata Convention on Mercury, an international treaty banning mercurial products. However, he simultaneously advocated for an exemption for ayurvedic medicinal preparations, asserting that the “efficacy is more” when mercury is present, and “less” in its absence.
He urged Prime Minister Modi to instruct the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, as the treaty’s signatory, to permit the use of mercury in ayurvedic medicines. This, he argued, is vital for preserving their potency, especially given the global reach of Indian traditional ayurvedic practices.
In a telephonic interview with Pharmabiz, Dr. Chaudhary highlighted that both Nepal and China, despite being Minamata Convention signatories, received exemptions, Nepal for religious use of mercury and China for medicinal applications. He said, as per ayurvedic principles, mercurial preparations are used for their purported effectiveness in treating chronic diseases.
According to him, the Indian Acharyas (scholars) of Rasa Shastra and Ayurveda invented the medicinal form of mercury known as ‘Rasaushadhi’ after a rigorous and meticulous research of 500 years, which was completely accommodated and amalgamated in the practice of Ayurveda in the 11th century. Using the knowledge and pharmaceutical procedures such as ‘Shodhan’, ‘Maran’ and ‘Sanskaar’, the Intellectual Property Rights of our Aacharyas (scholars), the practitioners of Indian Ayurveda system in the contemporary age converted the toxic mercury into the form of medicinal mercury. The medicinal form of mercury is not toxic if they use according to classical parameters adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices.
Dr. Chaudhary further noted that Western attempts to use mercury in ancient times failed due to their unfamiliarity with the pharmaceutical preparations developed by Indian scholars.
“India has a moral and ethical obligation to preserve and promote its Indian Knowledge System by ensuring the continued availability of mercury for medicinal use in ayurvedic preparations. This requirement is minimal, needing only 40 tons of mercury annually for Ayurveda. This stands in stark contrast to the 700 tons that, as per government data from a few months ago, are still used by various industries such as chemical, fertilizer, plastic pipeline, and cosmetics in India”, he said.
Dr. Chaudhary acknowledged that, following the global ban, Indian industries are gradually reducing their mercury use with the aim of complete phase-out in a few years, as they can readily adopt alternative materials. However, he emphasized that no alternative to mercury exists for certain potent ayurvedic formulations. Therefore, he urged the government to grant an exemption for ayurvedic medicines, permitting the industry to use mercury to maintain the efficacy of these traditional preparations, particularly those used for treating chronic diseases.
He said, the Ministry of Ayush is actively presenting evidence of the safe and effective therapeutic applications of herbo-mineral formulations of mercurial origin to the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and other international agencies. Their goal is to secure an exemption from the mercury ban for the manufacturing of ayurvedic medicines.
However, it appears that the ministry of environment, forest and climate change is not as enthusiastic about the Ministry of Ayush’s proposal to obtain this exemption. This lack of enthusiasm is particularly concerning given that the medical use of mercury in Ayurveda is considered the “backbone” of ayurvedic practice for many chronic disorders.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. India’s status as a Minamata Convention signatory imposes legal obligations to curb mercury use and emissions in its diverse industrial sectors.
