'Tribal communities, treasure houses of herbal medicine'

Zilla Panchayat vice president Sheela K Shetty expressed a need to preserve the knowledge on herbal medicines possessed by the tribal communities.

She was speaking after inaugurating a regional seminar on the system of medicine in the Koraga aboriginal community, organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute, Mysuru, at the Zilla Panchayat hall recently.

Shetty said that the youth should take interest in learning the traditional system of medicine, followed even to this day by the tribal. There are no side effects in herbal medication. The aboriginals and tribals who dwell in forests are gifted with the knowledge of herbal medicines, which has came down through generations. This knowledge should not go unnoticed and, hence, there is need for documenting such knowledge. But, the very knowledge should not be commercialised, she advised.

Delivering the keynote address, Basavanagowda, the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute director, said that there are 50 tribal communities in the state. Among them, Jenukurubas and Koragas are considered to be aboriginal communities. The programme has been organised to introduce the system of herbal medicine used by their communities. There is need for research in this field, he said.

Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis presided over the programme. Mruthyunjaya, Babu Pangala, Ganesh Barkuru, Gowri, Bogra Koraga and Ganesh Koraga were the resource persons.