Pankaj Oudhia

Save Nagin climber to save common people from diseases

“Today is Rishipanchami and we are going to forest to collect medicinal herbs. I have decided to collect Nagin jadi in bulk for year round use. It’s difficult to get this climber in forest that’s why I am in forest from early morning.” A leader of Traditional Healers informed. I never miss to visit forest on this particular day. I have mentioned in previous research documents that this day is very important for herb collectors as well as Traditional Healers. “Today all herbs are considered useful. We collect these herbs and consume it. Due to this Tradition, we remain free from different diseases round the year.” The natives of forest region informed.

“Please show the herbs you have collected.” I asked to the passing by group of natives “Bodal, Bhatail Chara, Negur and Aithi but where is Nagin?” I asked. “We are searching Nagin and hoping to get it in nearby dense forest.” They replied.

On this special day snake charmers as well as Traditional snake experts worship snakes collected by their followers and demonstrate their power to control snakes. Without removing venom they play with snakes and after this collect venom. Venom is mixed with cooked rice and then given to followers as “Prasad.” At the end of day experts as well as villagers participate in “Snake procession”. Next day they visit to forest and release the snakes. Before demonstrating their skills snake charmers as well as experts consume Nagin Jadi. It is general belief in the region that consumption of this herb root gives protection from snakes round the year. “After chewing this root we work fearlessly in rice fields and walk bare foot in forest. It ends our fear.” The experts claimed.

The Traditional Healers use different parts of Nagin in treatment of different diseases. They are happy with the tradition of consuming Nagin jadi in this way once in a year. “It should be taken in this way up to at least one week in order to get improved natural body resistance. Patients recovering from exhausted diseases are suggested to take this root up to long time. Many times we give it in form of decoction. Based on the condition of patients we add more herbs in it.” The Healers of Chhattisgarh Plains informed. I have observed its use with other herbs by the Healers having expertise in treatment of different types of cancer.

The village experts of Kanker region use this root commonly as Ethnoveterinary medicine. “If you want to protect your house from venomous creatures as well as evil spirits then you must keep its dry fruit.” They showed me the dry fruit that was looking as hood of snake. I remembered the similar use of Oroxylum indicum fruit by natives due to its resemblance with snake. “Is it really effective?”  I asked. “Yes.” They replied. There was confidence in their voice. “To increase its effect we keep dry fruits of Kumhi with it.” They added. I have mentioned this use of Kumhi in previous research documents.

The natives engaged in Tantra activities worship this climber many times in a year. They use its different parts to manage evil spirits. They collect fresh roots and prepare aqueous paste. This paste is applied on forehead. They claim that if any one meets to enemy after applying this paste in this way, he or she can get victory even without fighting. You can keep this belief in category of blind faith but as Ethnobotanist it is my duty to document information related to all aspects of herbs. “Whether this paste defeats the enemy in this simple way or not, we are not sure but this application keeps the mind cool. We use it as substitute to Chandan. And you know when any one meets enemy with cool mind the chances of winning increases.” The Healers tried to explain. In treatment of insanity as disease the Healers of different regions use root paste in this way with other herbs like Aloe. The natives engage in Tantra activities use it as Mohini and Vashikaran tool.

“We are aware of its many uses beneficial for common people but we cannot disclose it. This climber is rare and due to increasing interest of natives in it, its population is decreasing. If we suggest them to use it round the year then we will loose this herb forever.” The Healers informed. I am aware that they were presenting this fact with hope that researchers will come forward to multiply this useful climber. Few years back I collected seeds from matured fruits and tried to plant it. I got little success. As mentioned above natives keep fruits in their house to get protection from venomous creatures. In this way seeds fail to reach in soil for germination. Through Traditional Healers and forest lovers we are trying to aware common natives to sow the seeds in their surroundings after collection of fruits and use only empty fruits. It can also serve the same purpose.

This message is reaching to them but we know long term campaign is required.

I have space and I will enrich your knowledge

“Why you are informing about this important work so late? You have done great service for humanity.” I received this message from eminent Diabetologist in response to my posting in Facebook based group on Diabetes. The excerpts from message are given below.

Hi,

I am India based researcher engaged in documentation of Traditional medicinal knowledge.

I have tried to document traditional medicinal knowledge about Type II Diabetes. Present size of this document is plus 1TB. Plus 650,000 pages are online through Ecoport. Please see this link

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=3077&page=12321

Work is still in progress. I feel that clinical trials to validate this knowledge should go side by side along with basic documentation so that this knowledge can be used for millions of sufferers.

--

Few days back after much thinking I registered in Facebook. I joined group discussing Diabetes. After much hesitation, I posted this message. No reply came in group but I received lots of personal mails. When I write that present size of Diabetes report is plus 1 TB, readers show surprise. It is beyond imagination for every one. But when they read that about 650,000 pages are online through Ecoport and click on given link, they start believing on me. But still they feel that plus 1 TB report is too large.

Few months back I invited quotations for preparation of online database on Diabetes. Many national and international companies showed interest in it. When I explained the plan of adding plus 550,000 large tables in database they showed surprise. Over 82,000 such tables are online through Ecoport. “It will be too expensive. Beyond the reach of common Indian. Without potential sponsors please don’t dare to launch this database.” A reputed firm from Bangalore said. A company from Bhilai said that initial investment is of 70 lacs. I have already invested much in surveys and documentation and not in position to invest on this dream project.

From childhood I am writing. Local newspapers as well as children magazines were publishing my essays, stories and poems. When I took admission in Agriculture College I started writing for farmers. Thousands of Hindi articles have been published in more than 50 farm journals. Many editors have written to me that please don’t send more material as if we continue publishing your two to three articles in every issue, it will take  at least 20 years to publish all.

During student life my first research paper was published on Blumea leaf beetle. Later I published plus 120 research papers in journals of national and international repute. I contributed many book chapters and published four books in different languages.

Internet attracted my attention and I started contributions in Botanical.com. I was very happy when total articles reached to 75. In coming years I worked day and night and reached up to plus 12,000 articles. Mr. Peter from FAO invited me to Ecoport. I added over 2500 articles in Ecoport. 

Regular writing in English made me guilty. I started writing Hindi articles with English articles. When I was informed that now on-line Hindi writing is child’s play I started Hindi writing through blogs. In shorts duration, I contributed over 500 Hindi articles.

For my contributions research journals, farm journals, Botanical.com, Ecoport, Blogs etc. have given enough space but when you use such spaces you have to follow certain rules. You cannot work freely. As you know, earlier I was writing articles by hand and computer shop owner was typing it. At that time for every proof he was charging additional money. It was not possible for me to pay for three to four proofs. This resulted in lot of spelling errors in Botanical.com contributions. I want to correct it but it is not possible from Botanical.com side. You are well aware of my problems with Ecoport. They blamed me for contributing so much and said that load of my contributions is affecting the performances of their database. Similarly, writing in blogs is having its own limitation. I tried to contribute in Google Knol but found that it is having very little space to accommodate my large articles.

From few weeks I am writing at end of my message that Give me space, I will enrich your knowledge. When such messages reached to friends and well wishers they suggested that you have contributed so much from your own from surveys to documentation then why you are still dependent on others for space? Webmaster of pankajoudhia.com Shri Sandeep was one of them. It is due to his support I have started series titled Excerpts from my field dairy (July 2009 onwards) through pankajoudhia.com and in short time contributed over 50 documents.

“You are ahead of technology and please wait. Very soon cheap options to add plus 550,000 tables will be available. Instead of adding it in Ecoport or other database, keep it with you.” The friends suggested. Due to their efforts I have prepared offline database on Chhattisgarh biodiversity and maintaining it without much investment.

The main problem with these so much contributions is to keep it in systematic way. The academicians of Pune have helped me a lot on this aspect. They are reading my articles from beginning. For their ease they have classified the contributions in small sections. “We employed eight people specially to keep your contributions systematically. They are still with us.” Prof. Gupta informed me in phone. Recently he sent some of my contributions in form of ten DVDs.

“You have written so much and it is not possible to read all contributions. That’s why we search it through Google and select the specific part.” Many researchers write to me whereas many force me to give exact information in compiled form. They don’t want to search it through search engines. It is not possible for me fulfill their demand.

Although news link in Internet claims that new generation is taking keen interest in Ethnobotany but ground level situation is not encouraging. It is hard to get full time Ethnobotanist. Research publications with superficial information presented in tabular form are coming. Pterocarpus is used for Diabetes, Terminalia for heart diseases etc. but no one is documenting it in detail. Under such discouraging situation I feel that I must write my findings in interesting way. It should generate interest in readers to understand Traditional Healing.

By getting my own space in pankajoudhia.com I feel that now I am free to contribute as much as possible without any barrier. My friends have ordered to change the end line in message as “I have space and I will enrich your knowledge.”

 I have accepted it.

© Pankaj Oudhia