Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai bats for traditional healing, urges farmers to grow medicinal plants for prosperity
RAIPUR
: Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai stated that people often turn to village healers when modern hospitals and medicines fail to provide cures. He urged
farmers
to cultivate medicinal plants, highlighting their potential for higher profitability compared to paddy cultivation.
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Sai was addressing the oath-taking and felicitation ceremony of Vikas Markam, the newly appointed chairman of the Chhattisgarh
Tribal Traditional Health Practices
and
Medicinal Plant Board
, in Raipur.
The chief minister noted that the board was established during the previous BJP govt under Dr Raman Singh's tenure. Its mandate is to support traditional healers in forest areas with extensive Ayurvedic knowledge and to protect and promote these healers, as well as medicinal and aromatic plants.
The board will also oversee the procurement and sale of these plants, with Vikas Markam leading this initiative. The board, with support from the forest department, will provide subsidies and benefits, and purchase medicinal plant produce.
It will also raise awareness, particularly in the Bastar and Surguja divisions, and encourage rural farmers to grow medicinal plants for increased income and financial empowerment, the chief minister said.
He expressed his vision for Chhattisgarh to be recognised as a 'Herbal State', citing the state's abundance of medicinal flora. Forest minister Kedar Kashyap stated that CM Sai's schemes are being implemented effectively. He also mentioned that Chhattisgarh is the top collector of tendu leaves in the country, with the govt paying Rs 5,500 per standard sack to tendu collectors.
Minister Ramvichar Netam emphasised the importance of Baiga and Guniya healers, who treat ailments with herbs.
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He suggested that compiling their knowledge into a database could greatly benefit society and human health. He acknowledged Markam's crucial role in this endeavour.
Samir Oraon, National President of BJP's Scheduled Tribe Morcha, highlighted the value of natural
healing
practised by local Baiga and Guniya practitioners, noting the effectiveness of their herbal remedies where modern medicine sometimes falls short.
He affirmed the govt's commitment to promoting these resources for self-reliant communities and improved societal health. Markam stated that true scientific progress occurs at the intersection of modern thinking and tradition.
He emphasised Chhattisgarh's rich heritage of oral-tradition-based medical knowledge and medicinal plants, which can treat illnesses and promote balanced lifestyles. He stressed the need to preserve and scientifically validate this heritage, offering Ayurveda and traditional medicine as viable alternatives in the face of incurable diseases and the limitations of allopathic medicine.
He envisioned developing this legacy into a modern healthcare model, which he said would be a source of pride for the people of Chhattisgarh. Markam also announced the "Mor Med, Mor Ped" (My Boundary, My Tree) initiative, aimed at reviving the tradition of planting trees and medicinal vegetation along field boundaries.
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