WHO Chief Gets ‘Pucca’ Gujarati Name as PM Modi Christens him ‘Tulsi Bhai’ at AYUSH Meet

When WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in India for a visit, he did not know he would be christened a new name: a traditional Indian name, more specifically from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state Gujarat.

Christening Ghebreyesus ‘Tulsi bhai’ while inaugurating a three-day Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit at Gandhinagar, Prime Minister Modi said this was the WHO chief’s Gujarati name and a significant one at that. The tulsi plant, the prime minister explained, was important not only in traditional Indian medicine but also as a sacred symbol in households across the country. The video of the address was shared by Sunil Deodhar, BJP national secretary, co-incharge of Andhra Pradesh.

“Tedros has been a great friend of mine. He told me that Indian teachers had taught him so much and played a massive role in his life. He is proud to be associated with India,” Modi said.

He added: “When he met me in the morning, he said he was a pucca Gujarati now. He said ‘Why don’t you give me a Gujarati name’? So, today, on Mahatma Gandhi’s sacred land, I name my dear friend ‘Tulsi bhai’.”

The PM further said while modern generations might forget about tulsi’s significance, it was a plant that had graced every Indian home. Tulsi had been worshipped for generations across the country, he added.

To his credit, the WHO chief, too, showed off his Gujarati skills during a speech in Jamnagar at the inaugural ceremony of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. During the speech, Ghebreyesus greeted the crowd in typical Gujarati fashion: “Kem cho badha? Maja ma? (How are you all? Happy?)”

The summit is also being attended by Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth. Modi on Wednesday said to promote the traditional medicine industry, India will soon launch ‘AYUSH mark’, which will give authenticity to quality AYUSH products made in the country. Speaking of “Heal in India”, he also announced that a special visa category will be created soon for those who want to travel to the country to avail of AYUSH therapies.

“Traditional medicine helped increase tourism in Kerala. This power is in the whole of India, in every corner of India. ‘Heal in India’ can become a big brand of this decade. Wellness centres based on Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, etc, can be very popular,” the prime minister said, adding that the special “AYUSH visa” will help those who wish to seek traditional treatments in India.

Besides, Jugnauth and Ghebreyesus, union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, AYUSH minister Sarbananda Sonowal, minister of state for woman and child development Munjapara Mahendrabhai and Gujarat chief minister Bhupendrabhai Patel were also present on the occasion.

‘AYUSH’ denotes Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy. India has a central ministry dedicated to these alternative medicine systems.

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