CENTRE
(Eastern Region: Incorporating
West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand & Bihar states)
In collaboration with National
Medicinal Plants Board, AYUSH Dept, Govt of India
&
Indian Institute
of Technology, Kharagpur (W.B.)
Site: Plot No 88/851, Gyan
Vigyan Nagar, Ward No 5, Karagpur (W.B.) 721 301
Synopsis by
Akmal Husain
Sr. Scientist & Officer-in-Charge, Marine Aquarium & Research Centre,
Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India
Regional Medicinal Plants Promotion Centre (Eastern Region)
literature is full of citations through age old practices of Ayurveda & Unani systems. The relevance of dependence on such traditional/conventional means is further increased due to recurrence of new ailments as side effects of the modern synthetic drugs being widely practiced through the refined & well researched alloppathy as well as environmental pollution problems due to pharmaceutical industries. Also, modern synthetic medicines are too costly, hence beyond the reach of poor people. There are over No. of known plants naturally occurring as well as being cultivated in India with ever increasing knowledge through innovative researches of which our region of interest (Eastern region comprising the states of West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand & Bihar) being geo-climatically quite suitable for the natural abundance of these medicinal plants, alone has over Nos. of known varieties.
In the post independence period, with the onset of large number of health aspects related Biomedical research institutions mainly through I.C.M.R., C.S.I.R., I.C.A.R. & a host of Universities/Colleges & the private entrepreneurs in health sector, we could establish world class research output through Scientific manpower & Knowledge up gradation including status data on this vital subject. But, unfortunately very little has been done to reach such findings up to the common people through simple means & in their own language & communicative mode for fullest utilization of these valuable researches which often remain confined from Laboratory to Library & to the Seminar/Symposia & Conferences etc. without reaching to the real needy section of society at large.
Since past one decade, much had been talked about on this issue by the Scientific luminaries like His Excellency Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, The Hon’ble President of India, Late Dr. T.N. Khoshoo, Dr. R.A. Mashelkar and a host of others to emancipate such valuable knowledge to the common people for which there is need of more Promotion Centers than the Research Centers. Perhaps it is due to this reason that having widely talked and realized on Knowledge as power, Knowledge as Commodity & Intellectual Property concerns etc, India has established Knowledge Commission, National Medicinal Plants Board, Intellectual Property Law Schools etc for better coordination and proper spread of intellectual assets in its true sense of spirit. Similar to that we had been talking since long time about the concept of lab to land. Therefore, this is high time for the policy planners/makers to give serious thought on our mission for raising thrust on promotional avenues than to repeat or perform substandard researches at the cost of public exchequer.
While on July 23rd
2006, during the key note address by Shri V. S. Sirpurkar, the then Hon’ble
Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, at the inaugural session of Rajiv Gandhi
Intellectual Property Law School at Kalidas auditorium of Indian Institute of
Technology, Kharagpur (W.B.) highlighting the importance of rich heritage,
conservation and emancipation of knowledge, he sited an instance of a herb of
his locality near Nagpur (Maharashtra) which had miraculous control for the high
sugar level patients, played stimulating role for establishing the Medicinal
Plants Promotion Centre at this important town which has earned international
reputation in today’s world of knowledge and intellectual circle. Six weeks
latter, an important incident of severe pain & partial paralysis of the self has
finally decided the fate for creation of such utility centre dedicated to the
cause of mankind in general and the poor people in particular. Someone, who has
already suffered heavily of such ailments and had been fully cured, has
suggested me to wash the affected portion through warm water containing the
extract of leaves of Vitex negando (in Hindi it is known as Samalu & in Bengali
it is called Beguna) obtained by boiling such leaves in water. Through regular
wash & bath with such extract (twice daily) for over forty days, the whole
problem has fully disappeared with feelings of fresh strength and resistance in
the whole body. To my utter surprise, this has inhibited deterioration in the
degenerative process of the lumbo sacral region bones (which was detected
earlier).
Such tree is commonly known to the
local people for its insecticidal (preserving food grains), and pain killing
property mainly used as bath after the child birth in rural folk. Such tree a
perennial plant is in abundance in wet soil areas in different parts surrounding
Kharagpur town and like vast stretch wild growth in Digha area. Likewise, V.
negando there are large number of other known & unknown plants/trees in every
locality which are not being utilized for the want of proper knowledge and
message to the masses. After getting the miraculous relief from this natural
gift (V. negando), the author has felt indebted of society for creating an
ambitious awareness centre for the spread of knowledge to the common people in
their own language and mode regarding its various aspects. With this view, to
satisfy the urge for serving the mankind, following is the objective and
strategy to work on this mission.
Our project will be based on
following aspects and hence related methodology will be adapted with a view to
initially cover the existing known and unknown varieties of medicinal plants and
herbs in the states of West Bengal, the adjoining states of Orissa, Jharkhand
and Bihar. Our horizon may spread phase wise depending upon circumstances:
Data Establishment
(including identification of unknown specimens):
Through
researches already carried out by different agencies and institutions, status
report will be prepared for the already identified medicinal plants naturally
occurring in our region. Efforts will continue to add more unknown species
through ongoing researches (by other research institutions and centers) as well
as traditional sources like community people and locally involved active groups,
N.G.Os. etc. Thus at every step of our activity, we have to involve all
concerned groups amongst the Government agencies, Academic and Research
Institutions, the activists and nodal agencies like Health Ministry, World
Health Organization (W.H.O.) etc.
Conservation/promotion of
naturally occurring medicinal plants abundance:
Through literature and interactive
sessions and involving local N.G.O.s, movement will be made for awareness to the
farmers, common rural people and also to Government agencies and the activists
to preserve and conserve such identified valuable species of plants and herbs
which are naturally occurring in various geo-climatic conditions and localities.
Importance of such herbs and plants in respect of its environmental utility,
health ailment healing aspect as well as traditional food and fodder etc will be
highlighted and properly communicated to the masses through our periodical meets
and interactions by arranging seminars & symposia of the common masses through
literature and leaflets etc in various local languages.
Cultivation of species
used as conventional food grain or for medicinal purposes:
The
identified and better economically viable plants/herbs species will be
encouraged to the farmers for cultivation (with available technology provision
and congenial conditions), both for the immediate local requirements as well as
for the revenue generation as source of livelihood to small and medium farmers.
Full fledged demonstration of such plants (being cultivated at our experimental
farm center) will be routinely carried out to the entrepreneur groups and
farmers for their proper knowledge and practical utility. Efforts will be made
to demonstrate all such cultivable and naturally occurring plants at our
experimental farm centre for which proper assistance from the State Government
Agriculture Department, Forest Department and a few I.I.T. (Kharagpur)
establishments will be sought on regular terms to meet such ambitious
objectives. Although functioning of this part will be always available for the
spot study to interested groups, but through periodical seminars and wide public
meets, we will try to educate and make aware common people the increasing
dependence and relevance of such valuable natural assets and its proper
utilization for the welfare of mankind.
Proper utilization:
The traditional knowledge is full of mention of various beneficial modes of
different parts of a tree or herb with medicinal importance. As is well known
that for one plant its seeds are useful while for other its leaf or root etc.
Hence, it is quite essential to establish knowledge report for selected plants
as which part of it is useful for a particular ailment and that too how it
should be used. Efforts will be made to compile such detailed reports for the
utility of various medicinal plants as how to prepare its particular part and
use the same in an ailment in what way. For example, for curing the neurological
disorder/partial paralysis etc, it is essential to boil leaves of Vitex negando
& with such extract to wash the affected portion with warm water regularly for
over a month (depending upon gravity of situation). Also by following few
precautions and exercises, along with use of such medicinal plant product in a
particular manner will cure certain ailments. It is therefore quite essential to
establish such valuable methodology of various plant products for curing a
particular ailment. Only then, real benefit of such studies and findings can
reach the common people.
Commercial & Trading
Aspect:
After the
baseline data of medicinal plants are prepared and methodology for its proper
utilization is established, it will be our prime concern to make larger benefits
of such resources in terms of employment as well as revenue generation for the
larger benefit of society. Through established researches and our own
experimental farm center demonstrations, efforts will be made to promote
entrepreneur groups and skilled farmers to perform large scale cultivation and
processing of its part as useful product in curing various health ailments.
Every knowledge based support and technological facilities will be provided to
the interested groups & farmers. Likewise there are a few institutions which
provide specific training programs for processing and farming/cultivation of
such species in scientific manner (like Central Institute of Medicinal &
Aromatic Plants, Lucknow etc), local entrepreneurs will be promoted and assisted
for specific trainings at such centers of excellence.
We will also
provide assistance and short duration courses at our center to cater such
requirement of the local people. Also avenues will be searched for the proper
marketing of these products. If proper awakening to the common people is made
through closely-knit interactive sessions through such centers, large number of
educated youths will be benefited of establishing their own venture and also for
a variety of health ailments common people can get benefited at low very cost as
well as without any fear of side effects. Likewise an active interaction group,
our centre will keep a close coordination with all agencies like Health
Ministries (both the State Government & Union Government), Research & nodal
agencies, Government Departments engaged in the social welfare of the masses,
Health and social activists, N.G.O.s etc and the pharmaceutical industry for
better implementation of our broad objectives. Thus we will be acting as a
bridge between Research Centers, Government agencies/Departments, traditional
Pharmaceutical industry and the common people as user as well as entrepreneur
for the vast natural asset abundantly occurring (as Medicinal Plants/Herbs).
Initially, we
will be carrying out such experimental program at our own land in an area of
about 0.50 acre at the suitable location within the municipal limit at Kharagpur
town (proposed site name: Plot No 88/851, Gyan Vigyan Nagar,Ward No 5,
Kharagpur). Further efforts will be made to approach State Government and the
Indian Institute of Technology authorities for their cooperation in the
expansion plan for establishing Extension Centre/s. Our aim is to start
plantation with the onset of coming monsoon which is likely to be inaugurated
within November/December 2007 by some International acclaimed scientific
luminary to boost our noble efforts.
