History and Milestone

HISTORY

Ayurveda Medical Association of India, AMAI was formed on the 13^th of August 1978. Since its 44 years of existence, the organization has risen to the stature of being the universal voice and umbrella platform of the qualified Ayurveda doctors of Kerala. The inception aim for AMAI was to unify and organize the Ayurveda doctor community in Kerala which has been full-filled and evident. Today, AMAI is the prime propagator of Ayurveda science and the backbone of the Ayurveda professional community and is always at the forefront of placing Ayurveda as a preferred healthcare delivery system for individual and public healthcare services. AMAI has always voraciously championed Ayurveda in the past and is doing so in the present as well. AMAI with about two-thirds of professional Ayurveda Doctors in Kerala being AMAI members has grown and matured into an entity to be heard by all.

AMAI was formed methodically by deliberations and futuristic reasoning by merging the two functioning organizations in northern and southern Kerala. The initial core team was single-mindedly committed to safeguarding the rights of the Ayurveda fraternity, a reality that is evident from the history of AMAI.

Even though it has been 50 years since the recognized Ayurveda Medical Degree was approved by the Government of Kerala, the 1967 Medical Bill was still paving the way to quackery by patronizing and authorizing new so-called traditional Vaidyas. In such a scenario the stalwarts of Ayurveda and then Ayurveda Mandala members, Dr. PK Jayaprakash, Dr. N Ramakrishna, Dr.PK Ramachandran, Dr. VK Neelakandan Namboothiri, and Dr. KV Shanmughadas convened a meeting at Pathinettam Kandam Vaidyasala, Palakkad, discussed the situation and the result was the formation of Ayurveda Medical Association in March 1968. The organization shook off its nascent hurdles and started functioning systematically with disciplined organized annual meets held in the Old Malabar area and Kottayam. AMAI regularly and in all its meets voiced strong protests against the B-class registration.

IMA organized a strong protest and held strikes at Thiruvananthapuram in 1976 against the government for recognizing the MBS degree for Homeopathy. The event kindled the spark for protest among the young professors and students of Thiruvananthapuram Ayurveda Medical College. The need for a strong organization to uphold one’s rights became a common mantra among the Ayurveda community. Motivated and supported by the faculty Dr. PK Mohanlal and Dr. Sankarankutty, a meeting of Ayurveda doctors was held at Thiruvananthapuram. An Adhoc Committee was formed under the leadership of Dr. B Chakrapani Varrier as Chairman and Dr. MP Padmanabhan Nair as convenor to draft a proposal for the formation of a unified organization and to bring together the scattered Ayurveda community.

A formal letter with the tagline “we also need an association” was sent to all medical practitioners registered under TCMC detailing the need for an association and welcoming them to form a district committee in all districts. The letter drafted by Dr. Mohanlal for the Adhoc committee made a remarkable impact and sowed the seed for an organized movement in the Ayurveda community. Meetings were conducted in various districts. The meeting organized at Perinthalmanna; Malappuram district was protested by AMA members; questioning the need for a new association with similar agenda to the existing AMA. Still, the Adhoc Committee continued with its activities consistently. Dr. T Gopinath and AMA district president, Dr. Bharatharajan suggested a discussion between the two organizations on solving the problem and exploring the possibilities for a merger. Both the groups designated Dr. TV Ramankutty Varrier and Dr. T. Gopinath with the responsibility of talking to all members of both the AMA and Adhoc Committee. The discussion resulted in the decision to merge of both organizations under a single banner. An Adhoc Committee to implement the merger was formed. The committee met at Xavier’s Annex, Thiruvananthapuram, and coined the name, National Ayurveda Medical Association (NAMA) for the newly merged organization. Dr. TV Ramankutty Varrier as President and Dr. P Sankarankutty as General Secretary. Dr. C. Ratnakaran, Dr. PR Sukumaran Nair, Dr. T Gopinath, Dr. Peroorkada Sasi, and Dr. Ratnakumar were the members of the Adhoc Committee.

Simultaneously, at Kottakkal Ayurveda Medical College, then Ayurveda Medical Association president, Dr. NVK Varrier and General Secretary, Dr. M Gopalakrishnan conducted a meeting and accepted the unification along with the 7 members comprising Dr. M. Gopalakrishnan, Dr. P. Kumaran, Dr. KV Shanmughadas, Dr. D. Ramanathan, Dr. V. M. Neelakandan Namboothiri, Dr. Sidharthan and Dr. Rajendran.

On 10^th February 1978, a unified meeting of AMA and NAMA leaders was held at Guruvayoor which saw the emergence of the name Ayurveda Medical Association of India. The proclamation conference was decided to be conducted as early as possible and happened on the 13^th of August 1978 at Thrissur. The conference approved the new organization and the name. Dr. T. Gopinath was authorized to be the convenor.

The Ayurveda community welcomed the new organization and attended the meeting held at Bini Tourist Home, Thrissur on the 13^th of August 1978. The conference was inaugurated by then Health Minister, Mr. J. Chittaranjan. Dr. PK Varrier and Dr. Kesava Vaidyar were the chief guests. The declaratory resolution for the union was presented by Dr. T. Gopinath. The conference was noticeable with the participation of young doctors and scholars. Dr. NS Narayanan Nair of Thiruvananthapuram and Dr. M Gopalakrishnan of Kozhikode were elected as President and General Secretary at this conference. Dr. NVK Varrier was authorized to document the mission statement of the association. After one year, during the first annual meet held at Kozhikode, the purpose statement and its constitution were presented and approved. Dr. NS Narayanan Nair was elected as President, Dr. CK Divakaran, as General Secretary, and Dr. M. Gopalakrishnan as Treasurer during the conference. From that day onwards till date AMAI has tread through the demanding path to establish itself as the guardian of the rights of Ayurveda. Surviving all the prejudice and deception, AMAI has remained a shield for the righteous Ayurveda aspirants. The boundless action of AMAI has been reflected in its phenomenal growth.

Today, the cause for the AMA formation, the Kerala Medical Practitioners Bill has been modified to give medical practice rights to registered Medical Practitioners only, which is one of the successful rebellious legal battles fought and won by AMAI. AMAI has grown and has acquired enough strength and credibility within Kerala to take up big fights like the propaganda against the right to surgery in Ayurveda Undeniably, sustaining and overcoming the predicaments and crises, AMAI has brought considerable positive changes in the Ayurveda community till now. This will continue formidably in future as well. It is the commitment and dedication of the leaders of the inception period that has given strength to the organization. AMAI salutes them on behalf of the Ayurveda doctor community. It is indeed a privilege of every AMAI member to know about the insurgence of AMAI and its role in protecting the rights and interests of Ayurveda

Milestone

Seminar on Integrated Medical Practice at 1985 Ernakulam.
APTA publication 1989 Guruvayoor.
BAMS Syllabus Workshop 1990 Aluva.
Aptha Seminar future for development 1990 Kottakkal.
Seminar on National Health Policy and Ayurveda 1994 Kozhikkode.
Panchakarma Workshop to promote OP Panchakarma treatment 1994 Aluva.
Members directory 2000.
Members family benifit scheme ASWAS 2006.
Own State committee office building at Angamaly 2007.
Seminar on Globalization 2008.

National Expo 2010 Thrissur.
Bye law amendment 2011.
Emergency Medicine Workshop 2011
Seminar on Social Health 2012 -Kozhikkode(Ayurveda for social health)
Vision Conclave 2012-Thiruvananthapuaram(Ayurveda for health and development of Kerala)
Started New Publication Treat Is Exclusively For Scientific Articles 2014
Started AMAI Research Foundation 2014
Laison Office Inagurated At Trivandrum 2014

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