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Since
time immemorial,
people have gathered
plant and animal
resources for their
needs. Examples
include edible nuts,
mushrooms, fruits,
herbs, spices, gums,
game, fodder, fibers
used for construction
of shelter and housing,
clothing or utensils,
and plant or animal
products for medicinal,
cosmetic or cultural
uses. Even today,
hundreds of millions
of people, mostly
in developing countries,
derive a significant
part of their subsistence
needs and income
from gathered plant
and animal products.
Gathering of high
value products such
as mushrooms, medicinal
plants also continues
in developed countries
for cultural and
economic reasons.
Among these uses,
medicinal plants
play a central role
as traditional medicines
used in many cultures
and tribes.
Patalkot
tribals are experts
in curing various
health disorders
by using locally
available herbs
and trees. But,
so far, just like
so many, biodiversity
of Patalkot is also
threatened. It is
need of the hour
to prepare a plan
for conservation
of medicinal plants
as well as documentation
of indigenous knowledge
of tribes. Patalkot
is a remote area
in India where traditional
herbal practices
are performed on
a large scale. The
herbal practitioners
are known as Bhumkas.
These healers are
expert in curing
range of human health
disorders with the
help of medicinal
plants growing in
their respective
regions. This knowledge
of herbs and their
uses has been passed
from generation
to generations.
Young generations
from these tribal
groups are merely
interested in knowing
the secrets of medicinal
plants. They are
now influenced by
the modern world
and they think that
they can earn more
money by doing labour
work at farms or
working as a waiter
in any hotel. Indeed,
it is true that
herbal healers are
not paid enough
for the creative
and curative services
they do for the
society. The new
generation doesn’t
know the potential
of knowledge of
their elderly. Healers
too are also not
much interested
in sharing their
knowledge with the
new generation.
They want to transfer
this knowledge to
safe hands so that
the knowledge is
safeguarded and
should be used for
the welfare of the
society
It
is in fact a need
of the hour to establish
a Traditional Medicine
Centre in Patalkot
as to monitor and
promote the collection
of herbs from the
Bhumkas through
the research agencies/
companies or other
institutions. Government
and research organizations,
NGOs, should come
forward to take
up the job of scientific
documentation and
validation of tribal’s
traditional knowledge.
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