Combating cervical cancer to promoting domestic tourism: What Sudhya Murthy said in her maiden Rajya Sabha speech

NEW DELHI: Philanthropist and author Sudha Murty on Tuesday, in her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, advocated for a government-sponsored vaccination program to combat cervical cancer and promoted domestic tourism, urging specific heritage sites to be recognized globally.
Murty emphasized the significance of cervical cancer vaccination for girls between the ages of nine and 14."There is a vaccination which is given to girls, between the age of nine to 14, known as a cervical vaccination. If the girls take that, it (cancer) can be avoided ... we should promote vaccination for the benefit of our girls because prevention is better than cure," Murty said.
Quoting her father, she emphasized the importance of a mother's role in the family. "When a mother dies it is counted as one death in the hospital, but for the family, a mother is lost forever."
Murty highlighted the government's ability to undertake large-scale vaccination campaigns, referencing the COVID-19 drive, and expressed confidence that providing cervical vaccinations should be feasible.
"The government has handled a very 'big vaccination drive during Covid' so it may not be very difficult to provide cervical vaccination to girls in the age group of 9-14 years," she said.
She further pointed out that the cervical vaccination has been in use in the West for the past 20 years and has proven effective.
"It worked very well. It is not expensive. Today it is Rs 1,400 for people like me who are in the field. If the government intervenes and negotiates...you can bring it to Rs 700-800. We have such a large population. It will be beneficial for our girls in future," she added.
Rajeev Shukla, who was presiding over the session, requested union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to communicate Murty's message to the health minister.
Murty also turned her attention to the promotion of domestic tourism, proposing that certain sites within India should be recognized as World Heritage Sites.
These include the Bahubali statue at Shravanabela Gola in Karnataka, Lingaraja Temple, Unakoti rock carvings in Tripura, Shivaji forts in Maharashtra, Chausath Yogini temple in Mitawali, Lothal in Gujarat and Gol Gumbad.
"In India, we have 42 World Heritage sites, but 57 are pending ... we should bother about those 57 sites," she said.
She highlighted the architectural marvels of the Srirangam temples and the beauty of the Mughal gardens in Kashmir.
"We always go and see the film shootings, but we never realize that they are not in the World Heritage Sites. The package should be done very well so that people can come and see them. The package should be conveniently done so that we should have good toilets and roads so that the tourists can come. It will increase our revenue in our own country," Murty explained.
Referring to other significant sites, Murty cited the example of a group of ancient monuments in Sarnath, which date back 2500 years, but are still not recognized as World Heritage Sites.
She also pointed out the historical significance of the design of the old Parliament Building, which she said was inspired by the Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitawali, Madhya Pradesh.
The Rajya Sabha debate on the motion of thanks on the President's Address saw several members, including BJP and opposition members, raising various issues.
BJP member Lahar Singh Siroya brought attention to the Congress's accusations of a liquor scam against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), sparking reactions from opposition members.
NCP member Fauzia Khan highlighted the mandate of the recent general election, stating that citizens will not tolerate any infringement on the Constitution.
She also mentioned issues like price rise, unemployment, increasing farmer suicides, floating corpses in rivers, women's plight, and the struggle for reservation in Maharashtra, which she claimed have been overlooked by the government.