Minister of State Durgadas Uikey inaugurates Lokmanthan Conference.

CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: An international conference titled “Pre-Lokmanthan” was organized at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (National Museum of Mankind) in Bhopal. The two-day international conference, themed “Herbal Healing Systems in Oral Tradition: Conservation, Promotion, and Action Plan,” was inaugurated by Union Minister of State (Tribal Affairs) Durgadas Uikey.

The conference was held in collaboration with the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Pragya Pravah, Dattopant Thengadi Research Institute Bhopal, Anthropos India Foundation, and Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication. Research papers were presented during the conference, and several Padma Shri awardees will also attend the event as special guests.

In this two-day international conference, notable attendees included Amitabh Pandey, Director of the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya; J. Nandakumar, All-India Coordinator of Pragya Pravah; Sudam Khade, Vice-Chancellor of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University and Public Relations Commissioner; former Vice-Chancellor K.G. Suresh; P.C. Joshi, retired Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University; Ramesh Gaur from IGNCA; Ota, Director of Tribal Research Institute Bhubaneswar Odisha; Rita Soni, Associate Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi; Debjani Roy from QCI; Robindra Teron, Director of NEIFM; Goyal and Jaya from the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, New Delhi; Additional Director Mota; Nupur Tiwari, Special Director of National Tribal Research Institute Delhi; Abhishek Joshi, Ayurvedic doctor (Bali); Sobat (Thailand); and Bamdev Subedi (Nepal).

A five-day tribal vaidya camp and workshop were also organized during the conference, where traditional healers treated patients and shared knowledge about the medicines they use for various ailments. Around 100 healers from 18 states participated in the camp.

It is noteworthy that many tribes in India have their own traditional healing practices, relying on a rich reservoir of herbal knowledge to treat illnesses. In rural India, due to limited access to formal healthcare facilities, non-codified herbal remedies are often the first available option for treatment.