“It is written in bad taste, with a political and racial angle and had nothing to with the aims and scope of this journal,” say doctors

Doctors across India have raised serious objections to what they say is “an unfortunate turn of events, where a reputed medical journal The Lancet has committed breach of propriety in commenting on India’s political issue.”

A letter released by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday has said that the medical fraternity in India has taken a dim view of the editorial ‘Fear and uncertainty around Kashmir’s future’ published in the journal on August 17.

“It is amounting to interference into an internal matter of India. The Lancet has no standing on the issue of Kashmir. Kashmir issue is a legacy that the British Empire left behind,” noted the Association.

The letter stated, “The Lancet has reacted to an internal administrative decision of Government of India under the garb of concern for the health of Kashmiris. We condemn this unsolicited intrusion into the affairs of India. Generations of Indians especially the doctors and medical students will carry the unpleasant memory of this act of commission by this international journal. We wish to question the credibility and the malafide intention behind the uncalled for editorial. IMA on behalf of the medical fraternity of India withdraws the esteem we had for The Lancet.”

Some doctors, too, have reacted to the editorial. “The editorial has badly tarnished the image of the journal,” said Dr. Raju Vaishya, orthopaedic surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. “It is written in bad taste, with a political and racial angle and had nothing to with the aims and scope of this journal.”