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Bhopal, September 21 (HS). An international conference on herbal medicine is starting today (Saturday) at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya in the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Its theme is “Pre Lokmanthan: Non-codified herbal medicine system-preservation, promotion and action plan”. Its objective is to shed light on the oral tradition of herbal treatment and discuss ways to protect them. In this, subject experts including Padma award winners will present their views on the future of herbal medicine.
Public Relations Officer Avnish Somkuvar said that this is a joint event of prestigious institutions like Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Pragya Pravah, Dattopant Thengadi Research Institute, Anthropos India Foundation and Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication. He said that the term “non-codified” is the central theme of this program and it is generally related to medical systems that are less valid than their codified western medicine. By bringing together various medical traditions, their rich cultural and historical context can be simplified and codified. Despite the dominance of biomedicine which has become heavily commercialized and professionalized, these non-codified medical practices have survived for centuries, reflecting their importance as cultural heritage and practical health benefits in various global communities.
In the pre-conference discussion, some strategies will be discussed to mitigate the challenges faced by the healers. Some important questions will be discussed such as whether fair trade standards should be established to ensure that herbal healers get proper compensation for their contribution and resources.
Participation of Padma Award winners
Four Padma Shri award winners will give special shape to the discussion in the conference. These include – Padma Shri Yaning Jamo Lego (Arunachal Pradesh), Padma Shri Hemchand Manjhi (Chhattisgarh), Padma Shri Laishram Nabakishore Singh (Manipur) and Padma Shri Lakshmikutty Amma (Kerala). Their participation will further enhance the understanding of traditional medical practices and it will provide a national platform for exploring these heritage-rich systems. Apart from this, the conference will mainly be attended by National Coordinator of Pragya Pravah J. Nandkumar, President of Pragya Pravah Prof. Brij Kishore Kuthiala, Professor (Dr.) KG Suresh, Director of IGRMS Dr. Amitabh Pandey, President of HK India Dr. Sunita Reddy. The sessions will be conducted by scholars from prestigious institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University and Makhanlal Chaturvedi National Journalism University and will express their views.
The main themes include herbal medicine in the context of climate change, biodiversity conservation, health communication related to traditional medicine, impact of commercialization and threat of bio-nuisance. The conference will also discuss challenges faced by herbal healers, lack of government support and intellectual property rights. Herbal Healers Workshop will be a special attraction on this occasion. During this, patients will be treated using traditional treatment methods. Knowledge about herbal medicines will be shared. It will give participants including students, researchers and general public a first-hand experience of traditional herbal medicine systems.