Here are excerpts from my conversation/discussions with members of the athiest community on facebook. I had asked members to respond if they wanted to know how the irrational beliefs of hinduism are compromising with public health in india, and the scientific/medical community is silent.

One member, erik sent me a message.


Erik Rochelmeyer 07 February at 00:31
Hi Manu,
your story sounds interesting. I got married in India in y2k in a sikh temple. I am religious, pagan actually but I like debating with atheists as I think that some of them have fundamentalist views. I show respect though.
So what is the story about the health thing from hinduism? Would interest me.
:-)
Erik

Manu Maheshwari 09 February at 14:56
mr. Erik, i have already discussed this on the athiests page. go to my original post on the athiest page. http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=26934252814

In short, as you might be aware, hinduism forbids its members to eat meat. Hindus have a very strong irrational prejudice toward meat.
well it turns out that there is a essential nutrient called vitamin b12 that is present in foods of animal origin only. since hindus are barred from consuming meat, it results in b12 deficiency --their only source of b12 is dairy products. a recent study found that 81 % of affluent indians in a large city are atleast slightly deficient.

mind you, there is almost no awareness of this issue, hindus in india prescribe vegetairinism for everyone, blissfully unaware of the possible consequences. despite the alarming figure of 81 %, the whole issue has been "hushed up " . --few doctors are aware of either the prevalence or consequences of this--and hardly any reseach is done on this topic. This is the result of religious irrational thought and prejudice preventing people from addressing an issue of immense public health importance.

and just imagine what would be the situation if someone is lactose intolerant-a condition which prevents people from drinking milk --one of the very few sources of b12 in indian diet.
well i stopped drinking milk at an early age, maybe because i am lactose intolerant or simply i dont like the taste. this means that for my entire childhood, yogurt was the only source of b12.
but when i went out to study in college, somehow, my food-supplier did not include yogurt in the meals.
this resulted in b12 deficiency--and memory loss, cognitive impairment,-behavioural changes, and depression.
this destroyed my studies,and career---and 3 years of sustaning humilation and frustation ( poor memory led to shameful academic performance )
eventually in 2006 i succumbed to full-blown mental illness.
i recovered only in 2009 .

and despite the high prevalence and serious consequences of b12 deficiency, india's scientific and medical community have been silent on the issue, nearly neglected it, as if denying its existence.
most people (including doctors and scientists ) in india, would hesitate to accept the truth, simply because it contravenes their strongly held prejudices and dogmas. result--millions suffering, perhaps even dying ( i attempted suicide many times ) .

there has been no attempt to spread awareness on this issue, it seems that the issue has been " hushed up " , pushed under the carpet. all becase it contradicts an irrational doctrine.

hardly any research is done on this--very few doctors are aware--and meanwhile millions of careers and lives are destroyed.

Here is the original discussion on the athiests page.

Manu Maheshwari-- hello friends !! do you know something about hinduism, the major religion in India , and as much an evil as Christianity and Islam. Hinduism is as irrational, and evil as western religions but it spreads its evil in slightly different ways. The irrational beliefs of Hinduism have hijacked science in India, even in such vital fields like Public Health. My career and mental health were destroyed due to the irrational beliefs of hinduism. (even though i was always a non-believer, irony ) . The irrational beliefs on hinduism are harming the health of Indians, and India's scientific and medical community is just watching silently. If you are interested in knowing how religion-inspired irrational beliefs are compromising public health in india, please send me a message on FB. Thank you

One friend Shawna guessed correctly that this must be about B12 deficiency arising due to vegetairinism common among hindus. But she said that I can take B12 supplements.

Manu Maheshwari
haha... thats the evil about religion... nobody , including doctors in india are willing to admit publicily that vegetarian food is lacking in an essential nutrient. thats perhaps because the doctors' religious prejudices prevent them from admitting this fact, no scientist wants to conduct research on this topic.. simply because admitting this fact would contravene their religious beliefs.

Manu Maheshwari-- the result : common people are blissfully unaware of the problem, there is no awareness of the issue, pharmacies dont stock vitamin b12 supplements (yes ) , and doctors too are largely unaware of this problem.
not only hinduism forbids its members from eating meat, it also forbids members to eat yogurt during winters ( superstition ) .
no doctor/scientist in india is ever going to admit the fact of vitamin b12 deficiency , simply because it conflicts with the widely held prejudices in indian society

Manu Maheshwari-- in india, practically nobody is aware of the problem, it has been CENSORED, just like political information is censored in China

Manu Maheshwari-- In india, nobody has a choice to be a vegetarian. or non-vegetarian. all are forced to be vegetarian since the demand for meat is so low, meat prices are very high, and beyond the means of even the middle class

One friend Craig said that such tendencies of religious dogmas and vegetarianism prevail only in small Indian cities and not in larger cities of india.

Manu Maheshwari-- to Craig--My friend, you are mistaken --Ironically , it is india's affluent and educated middle and upper classes that stick more tenaciously to religious prejudices and dogmas. This is because most of India's affluent educated people belong to hindu upper caste.. -one of my old college friends, who is now a researcher in cambridge, would not even touch meat, and would eat nothing( yes, nothing ) on certain specified days. I have seen those pursuing PhD on nutrition ( yes, nutrition ! ) unanimously condemning any concern on vitamin b12 deficiency, just because perhaps it doesnt go well with their dogmas and prejudices

Glynis Scott-- That's really dreadful