Since 1970s, Siddha medicine is taught and practised in two governmental colleges in Tamil Nadu. However, the learning and the treatment of patients are extremely criticized because of their reductive aspects by the hereditary practitioners (paramparai cittamaruttuvar) as well as by the students coming from these families. This situation encouraged the hereditary practitioners to form associations and to conduct trainings on certain specialties of Siddha medicine, which are not taught in governmental colleges. Meetings are organized in order to increase the exchanges on the clinical results, formulations and manufacturing processes of medicines. While the government seeks to draw aside from the therapeutic field the therapists who possess no officially sanctioned curriculum, these associations offer them the means to re-appropriate their medicine. By ensuring a continuous training, delivering diploma, and encouraging the circulation of knowledge and the homogenization of the medicinal formulations, they act as true institutions.
To comprehend the role of associations in the promotion of siddha medicine, the first part of the article will be devoted to the policy of British and Indian governments on the institutionalisation of this medicine through two paradigms: the creation of siddha courses inside the colleges and the registration of traditional practitioners. |
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