The Hindu : Front Page : They prefer tribal healing to modern medicine

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 14, 2007
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They prefer tribal healing to modern medicine

D. Radhakrishnan

Udhagamandalam: While many factors contribute to make the Nilgiris a fascinating and intriguing place one which only a few outside the district are aware of is its unique mixture of tribals. Notwithstanding problems of a varied kind which have been causing concern over the health of the tribals, particularly in the remote parts of the district, they have managed to keep at bay various maladies and also treat many ailments thanks to the healers in their midst.

Pointing out that the healers are held in high esteem by the members of their community, Cultural Anthropologist and Director, Tribal Research Centre (TRC), Jakka Parthasarathy told The Hindu that they are mainly found among the Irula and Alukurumba communities. Most of them reside in hamlets near Kotagiri, Coonoor and Kundah.

Hereditary art

While the population of Irulas is about 7,900, around 42, including 19 women, are healers. Among the Alukurumbas who numbered about 5,800 as many as 1,450, including 400 women, are considered to be healers.

Describing their ability to cure illnesses as a hereditary art which was passed down by the elders, Dr. Parthasarathy said normally a healer chose his youngest offspring to carry on the trade. Since the healers themselves have to go to the forest to collect the medicinal plants, they stop practising when they reach 55 years. Dr. Parthasarathy said they seldom encountered difficulties in getting raw materials as the Nilgiris abounds in medicinal plants. The fees is generally in kind.

He said the scope for promoting tribal healing in the district was tremendous. Even for treating major ailments the tribals preferred not to pop tablets and they dreaded injections. Though most of the medicinal plants fall under the wild category, of late the Alukurumbas have been seeking assistance to cultivate medicinal plants. Project Director, Hill Area Development Programme (HADP), C. Samayamoorthy said though an earlier scheme to promote medicinal plants had not produced the desired results, the HADP will not hesitate to give it another chance as it was aware of its potential.

National workshop

Dr. Parthasarathy said 10 tribal healers - five Alukurumbas, three Irulas and two Kotas - would attend a national workshop of tribal healers organised by the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya at Bhubaneshwar between December 14 and 18.

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