A Tribal of Patalkot valley : Dr Deepak Acharya
PATALKOT: Treasure of medicinal plants
Location: Situated on the Satpura Ranges of Central India, 58 km away from Chhindwara district headquarter, Madhya Pradesh.
1) This forest is significant because it is one of a kind in India preserved by its location at the bottom of a 1,200 foot cliff in a horseshoe-shaped valley. It is also home to a tribal culture skilled at using the forest plants to make effective medicines.
2) The Patalkot forest is so well hidden that people on the outside didn't even know it existed. The modern world has been completely unaware of its existence.
3) Now there are increasing threats of deforestation and exploitation of the people there.
4) The natives (Bharias and Gonds) who live there know how to collect and grow the plants they need for food, clothing and building their homes. They also have a special skill that has been passed down every generation. They know the secrets of the medicinal plants.
5) More than 2,000 natives live in villages scattered throughout the forest. There is a great harmony among them living in a comfortable balance, gladly helping each other, growing and collecting their own food foods, They are unusually skilled at making pulps and extracts of plants for curing illnesses. They have medicinal treatments for many illnesses including; measles, cholera, hypertension, diabetes, coughs, snake bites, and even pain.
6) Patalkot was becoming famous for its treasure of medicinal plants. With the discovery Patalkot's treasures though some other things began to happen. The natives are generous with their knowledge and offer their medicinal secrets with open hearts. This is how their people have always survived, by sharing information and supplies with each other. People who
came to the forest, however, saw a way to profit from this. They brought in teams of harvesters to strip the forest clean of valuable herbs. They sold them on the outside for great
profit. Important and endangered medicinal plants are at the verge of death.
7) And even more, whole sections of forest were cut to gain easier access to collection sites. In trade they gave the people portable radios that blared through the forest, frightening off wildlife and quickly replacing the communal music that bound the tribes together. Then loggers began cutting down the trees.
8) I am distressed to see these things begin and now I m acting quickly to protect the forest and its people. I hope Patalkot can be protected from the pressures of the modern world. It is
wonderful to discover a place full of natural treasures, but we must always protect a place we love even if it means limiting how much we can enjoy it, so it can stay in its natural state.
FEW IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW:
- No direct fund has been raised to promote the livings of the tribal who survive here.
- Deforestation is on high at the region (see pic).
- Outsider and science workers are cheating tribal, they come and uproot the important medicinal plants, in this way, the forest is loosing its important herbs and biodiversity.
- NGO's those who are working for development of Patalkot and its population, are more interested in their self-development. Lots of money has been granted so far from the Government agencies but results can be seen on the picture I sent.
- There is a greater hope for eco tourism but Government is not making proper initiatives.
- The whole Patalkot valley lacks proper infrastructure.
In all, I can say that Patalkot should be come on International Scenario.Lots of other things like; their rituals, festivals, indigenous knowledge, Tantras, Magic, way of treatment of
disorders and other can surely be icing on cake.
Dr Deepak Acharya, Department of Botany, Microbiology Research Lab, Danielson College, Chhindwara - 480 001, M.P. India
Contact: +919826171340, +917162246159
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