By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The traditional practitioners of the State have expressed the need to conserve the environment and bio-diversity as they now find it difficult to source the important herbs.
The 150 Khasi Local Herbalist, Traditional Birth Attendants, Massage Therapist, Bone Specialist, Spiritual Healers, including weavers who represented 44 villages had expressed this need during an awareness program convened by Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU) and Society for Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge and Practice (SPIKAP), recently at St Michael Hr Sec School in Umsning, Ri-Bhoi District.
The four hour advocacy, awareness and interaction program was conducted by officials and lecturers from MLCU and SPIKAP on the need to document the precious herbs which are endemic to Meghalaya.
Presentations for promotion of their indigenous practices, was provided for the Local Herbalist, birth attendants and weavers by Dr Kitboklang Nongrum, Ms Badalam Dkhar, both from MLCU.
It was learnt that out of the thirty four birth attendants eight of them have been performing the job of birth attendants for more than twenty years, and enquired if there was any scope for government to provide them assistance for their community service.
On the other hand, the weavers expressed serious concerns as they used valuable medicinal herbs for colouring their products and that they were facing difficulty as the medicinal herbs were becoming difficult to gather.
The weavers also informed that they too expressed serious concerns as to the
shortage as they depended on a particular herbal plant as dyes for colouring their finished product.
During the awareness program Chairman of SPIKAP, John Kharshiing expressed appreciation to the State Government and the KHADC for passing a landmark Traditional Medicine Act, and explained at length on the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Protection and Promotion of Khasi Traditional Medicine ) Act 2011, already passed by the KHADC, and which has been accorded approval from the District Council Affairs Department, Health, Family Department, Law Department of the state government including assent from the Governor.
Kharshiing also stated that the State Government, with the passing of the KHADC Act will have multiple impacts such as improving the economic livelihood of the people, including activating Local Herbal Health tourism and others in the State.