IMPHAL, February 17: In Manipur, lots of valuable medicinal plants are grown near our houses but we are not aware of their medicinal values, stated deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam in his address as the chief guest at the valedictory function of the two-day National Workshop on Sustainable Development of Medicinal Plants in North Eastern India at RIMS Jubilee hall today.
The deputy CM further said medicinal plants such as Tulsi found near our houses which we pay obeisance to in the morning is one of the best medicinal plants used in curing various diseases, that`™s why older people have preserved it in the past. In our State, we don`™t try to know the value of the medicinal plants found here but in others countries they always conduct in-depth research about the value of these medicinal plants, he said.
Around 1200 medicinal plants are found in our State, so the current generation should find out the hidden gold in our State, he said, asserting that our traditional healers know the value of medicinal plants but don`™t share their knowledge to others. The time has come for us to share the value of the medicinal plants to people so that they could cultivate the medicinal plants for income generation, he said.
In the hill areas, most hills people destroy forests for the sake of earning some money which also wipe out habitation of entire medicinal plants found in hills, he added. He said we have to preserve our medicinal plants found around us or in the forest areas.
Speaking as a guest of honour, former Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt said the world is interested in medicinal plants because they don`™t have any side-effects; therefore, traditional therapy is gaining in popularity. Medicinal plants cultivation will help develop livelihoods of various peoples and Manipur has an advantage with its huge potential in medicinal plants, he added.
He said the value of medicinal plants used in traditional therapies must be documented.
At the valedictory function, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Bala Prasad read the reports of the two-day workshop.
He said the workshop in four technical sessions mainly discussed a series of presentations that gave an overview of the medicinal plants sector in the North Eastern States, Global and National scenario of medicinal plants, potential and prospects of medicinal plants in the North East and expectation of stake holders (industries, entrepreneurs, farmers, collectors, traditional healers etc), access, benefit sharing and policy frameworks on protection of TK associated with medicinal plants.
The workshop on sustainable development of medicinal plants sector in North-eastern India was held with the purpose of drawing up a road map for reviving the medicinal plants sector in the region, he said, adding Manipur is the gateway to the south East Asian countries by virtue of the border it shares with Myanmar. If the medicinal plants sector was given due importance, it has the potential to transform the entire North Eastern Region economically and socially, he stressed.
The collectors will have a sustainable livelihood system and the industries will have viable processing units and marketing centers, he added.
State Additional chief secretary (Forest and Environment) Nikhilesh Jha presided over the valedictory function.
Altogether 307 delegates participated in the workshop from various States across India, delegates from companies like Dabur, Imami etc also participated. The workshop was organised by the Forest Department of Manipur in collaboration with National Medicinal Plants Boards, Ministry of AYUSH.