The Power of Voice: Using Ayurvedic Knowledge to Challenge Injustice

The Power of Voice: Using Ayurvedic Knowledge to Challenge Injustice

Inspired by the powerful message about using education and eloquence to fight injustice in “The Great Debaters” (2007), Dr. Aakash Kembhavi adapts this compelling exploration of intellectual courage and social responsibility to address how Ayurvedic practitioners and educators can use their knowledge to challenge healthcare inequities and systemic injustices.

A dialogue between Dr. Aakash Kembhavi, a privileged student who avoids controversy, and a faculty member who prefers academic safety over social engagement about the responsibility to use knowledge for justice

The library was quiet except for the sound of pages turning as Dr. Aakash Kembhavi found XYZ, a bright student from an affluent family, and a Teaching Faculty member, both absorbed in their books but seemingly avoiding the heated discussions about healthcare access that had been occurring throughout the campus.

Dr. Kembhavi: “I notice both of you have been conspicuously absent from the discussions about establishing free Ayurvedic clinics in underserved communities. Any particular reason?”

XYZ: “Sir, I prefer to focus on my studies. These social issues are complicated, and I don’t want to get involved in controversial matters.”

Teaching Faculty: “I believe in keeping academics separate from politics. Our job is to teach Ayurveda, not to solve societal problems.”

Dr. Kembhavi: “So you both see healthcare equity as a political issue rather than a professional responsibility?”

XYZ: “It’s not that I don’t care, but these problems are bigger than what one person can address. I’d rather excel in my studies and practice.”

Teaching Faculty: “And institutional involvement in social causes can compromise our academic objectivity and create unnecessary conflicts.”

Dr. Kembhavi sat down, his expression thoughtful but intense.

Dr. Kembhavi: “Tell me, what drew both of you to Ayurveda initially?”

XYZ: “I was fascinated by its holistic approach to health and its sophisticated understanding of human constitution.”

Teaching Faculty: “I appreciated its integration of philosophy, medicine, and lifestyle – how it addresses the whole person rather than just symptoms.”

Dr. Kembhavi: “Beautiful. Now tell me this: If Ayurveda’s holistic approach is so valuable, why should it remain accessible only to those who can afford private consultations?”

Teaching Faculty: “That’s a socioeconomic issue, not a medical education issue.”

XYZ: “And individual practitioners can’t be expected to solve systemic healthcare problems.”

Dr. Kembhavi: “Can’t they? Or won’t they?”

He stood up and walked to the shelf of classical texts.

Dr. Kembhavi: “Let me share something with you. Last month, I was in a remote village where children were suffering from malnutrition-related disorders that could be effectively addressed through Ayurvedic dietary principles and herbal interventions.”

“The local public health system offered only symptomatic treatment. The private Ayurvedic practitioners were too expensive for these families. So these children continue to suffer from conditions that our knowledge could easily address.”

XYZ: “That’s unfortunate, but—”

Dr. Kembhavi: “But what? But it’s not your problem? But someone else should handle it?”

Teaching Faculty: “We can’t be responsible for every healthcare inequity—”

Dr. Kembhavi: “You can be responsible for using your knowledge to address the inequities you encounter. And you can use your voice to challenge systems that prevent effective healthcare from reaching those who need it most.”

He returned to his chair, leaning forward intensely.

Dr. Kembhavi: “XYZ, you come from a family with resources and connections. You have the privilege of pursuing education without financial stress. With that privilege comes responsibility.”

XYZ: “What kind of responsibility?”

Dr. Kembhavi: “The responsibility to use your advantages to address disadvantages faced by others. Your comfortable position gives you the freedom to speak truth to power without fearing for your survival.”

Teaching Faculty: “And what about academic integrity? Shouldn’t we maintain scholarly objectivity?”

Dr. Kembhavi: “There’s nothing objective about remaining silent while preventable suffering continues. Scholarly objectivity doesn’t mean moral neutrality.”

He walked to the window, looking out at the campus.

Dr. Kembhavi: “Both of you possess knowledge that could transform lives. But you’re treating that knowledge like a personal asset rather than a social responsibility.”

XYZ: “How are we supposed to use our knowledge for social change?”

Dr. Kembhavi: “You could advocate for policy changes that integrate Ayurvedic principles into public health programs. You could develop low-cost intervention models for common conditions. You could use your education to articulate why healthcare access is a justice issue.”

Teaching Faculty: “And risk being seen as activists rather than academics?”

Dr. Kembhavi: “Risk being remembered as someone who used their expertise to advance human welfare rather than just personal comfort.”

He sat back down, his voice becoming more passionate.

Dr. Kembhavi: “Here’s what I want you to understand: Every time you choose comfort over courage, you’re making a choice about what kind of practitioner or educator you want to be.”

“You can be the kind who hoards knowledge for personal benefit, or you can be the kind who uses knowledge as a tool for justice.”

XYZ: “But individual efforts seem so small against such large problems—”

Dr. Kembhavi: “Every significant change in healthcare delivery started with individuals who refused to accept injustice as inevitable.”

He pulled out a newspaper article.

Dr. Kembhavi: “Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak revolutionized sanitation in India not because he had vast resources, but because he refused to accept that poor sanitation was an unchangeable reality for millions of people.”

“Your generation of Ayurvedic practitioners has the opportunity to demonstrate that traditional medicine can be both scientifically rigorous and socially just. But only if you have the courage to engage with injustice rather than ignore it.”

Teaching Faculty: “What specific actions are you suggesting?”

Dr. Kembhavi: “I’m suggesting you use your intellectual gifts to challenge systems that prevent good healthcare from reaching those who need it. Speak at policy forums. Write about healthcare equity. Develop accessible treatment models.”

XYZ: “What if our efforts don’t make a significant difference?”

Dr. Kembhavi: “What if your silence ensures that no difference is made at all?”

He stood up again, his voice rising with conviction.

Dr. Kembhavi: “Both of you have been given extraordinary educational opportunities. With those opportunities comes the obligation to use your knowledge not just for personal advancement, but for social advancement.”

“The question isn’t whether you can single-handedly solve healthcare inequity. The question is whether you’ll use your voice and knowledge to challenge it.”

Teaching Faculty: “And if our advocacy creates controversy?”

Dr. Kembhavi: “Then you’ll have proven that your message is powerful enough to threaten comfortable injustice. That’s exactly the kind of controversy that creates positive change.”

XYZ: “What do you want us to do?”

Dr. Kembhavi: “I want you to recognize that knowledge without social conscience is incomplete education. I want you to use your understanding of Ayurveda to advocate for healthcare systems that serve everyone, not just those who can afford premium care.”

“I want you to speak truth about health equity with the same precision and passion that you bring to discussing classical texts.”

He looked at both of them seriously.

Dr. Kembhavi: “Here’s the ultimate question: When you have the opportunity to use your education to challenge injustice, will you have the courage to speak, or will you choose the comfort of silence?”

“Because your voice, informed by Ayurvedic wisdom and strengthened by social conscience, has the power to change not just individual lives, but entire systems of care.”

The Moral of the Conversation

The exchange between Dr. Kembhavi, the privileged student, and the faculty member illuminates the relationship between education and social responsibility, particularly for those who possess knowledge that could address systemic inequities.

Inspired by the intellectual courage demonstrated in “The Great Debaters,” Dr. Kembhavi challenges both individuals to recognize that professional knowledge carries social obligations. The core message is that expertise without social conscience represents incomplete education and missed opportunity for meaningful change.

The conversation reveals how easily educated individuals can retreat into academic comfort zones, treating their knowledge as personal property rather than social responsibility. When practitioners and educators avoid engaging with injustice, they become complicit in maintaining systems that prevent their expertise from reaching those who need it most.

Dr. Kembhavi’s argument emphasizes that privilege creates both opportunity and obligation. The student’s comfortable background and the faculty member’s secure position provide them with the freedom to advocate for change without risking their survival – a freedom that should be used responsibly.

The Key Questions:

  • How will you use your Ayurvedic knowledge to challenge healthcare inequities rather than simply benefit from them?
  • Do you have the courage to speak truth about social justice even when it creates controversy?
  • What obligation do educated practitioners have to ensure their expertise serves society’s most vulnerable members?

The choice, as Dr. Kembhavi suggests, isn’t between being academic and being activist – it’s between using education for personal advancement alone or using it to advance human welfare. In the end, the conversation challenges both students and faculty to choose engaged citizenship over comfortable detachment, because the power of their knowledge is only fully realized when it serves justice as well as individual health.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.