- Himanta Biswa Sarma, heath minister in Assam state, made the remarks to a group of newly qualified teachers on Tuesday
- He said cancer in young men and injuries during accidents are ‘divine justice’
- Added that personal sins or the sins of victims’ parents could be to blame
- Mr Sarma has been criticised for failing to get a grip on cancer rates in Assam
An Indian health minister has claimed that young people who get cancer are being punished for their sins.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, healthcare chief for Assam state, told a group of newly qualified teachers that cancer in young men and tragic accidents are a form of ‘divine justice’ that ‘we cannot escape’.
Fellow politicians attacked him over the comments, saying he only made the remarks after failing to get a grip on a cancer crisis in Assam.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, healthcare chief for Assam state, said cancer and tragic accidents are punishment for sins in the past life ‘which we cannot escape’
Mr Sarma said: ‘God makes us suffer when we sin. Sometimes we come across young men getting inflicted with cancer or young men meeting with accidents.
‘If you observe the background you will come to know that it’s divine justice. Nothing else. We have to suffer that divine justice.
‘In this lifetime or in our previous life, or perhaps my father or mother… perhaps that young man did not do but his father has done something wrong.
‘It is mentioned even in [the Bible] about the outcome of one’s actions. No point in being sad… all will get the outcome of this life’s actions in this life only.
Mr Sarma was accused of failing to get a grip on an endemic of cancer cases in Assam, with politicians saying the remarks were proof he had ‘given up’
‘That divine justice always will be there. Nobody can escape the divine justice that will happen.’
Aminul Islam, leader of the rival AIUDF, said the remarks were proof that he had ‘given up’ on trying to solve the endemic of cancer cases in the state.
In the last five years 90,000 cases of cancer have been diagnosed in Assam, with only three specialist treatment centers available.
After being lambasted for his comments Mr Sarma sought to qualify them, saying that he was simply stating that he believes in the Hindu principal of karmic law that states human suffering is linked to past transgressions.