{"id":3124,"date":"2025-01-30T17:18:28","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T17:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.in\/ENews\/?p=3124"},"modified":"2025-01-30T17:23:29","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T17:23:29","slug":"reviving-medicinal-knowledge-across-states-a-journey-through-farmer-training-in-haryana-uttar-pradesh-and-punjab-dr-tara-devi-sen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=3124","title":{"rendered":"Reviving Medicinal Knowledge Across States: A Journey Through Farmer Training in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. Dr. Tara Devi Sen."},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Reviving Medicinal Knowledge Across States: A Journey Through Farmer Training in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. Dr. Tara Devi Sen.<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Shimla:<\/p>\n

Recently, I had the privilege of serving as a domain expert in a series of one-day hands-on training sessions on\u00a0“Value Addition and Post-Harvest Practices in Medicinal Plants”\u00a0for farmers across three states\u2014Palwal (Haryana), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), and Nurpur Bedi (Punjab). Organized by\u00a0RCFC-NR Jogindernagar, a regional center of the\u00a0National Medicinal Plants Board, these programs aimed to integrate medicinal wild food plants into daily life while equipping farmers with knowledge of value addition techniques for livelihood promotion.
\nThe foundation for these training programs was laid during our previous interactions on\u00a0November 12-13, when representatives of these farmers expressed a keen interest in learning about local medicinal wild food plants and their incorporation into daily life.
\nDr. Arun Chandan, Regional Director of RCFC, encouraged me to go beyond a conventional lecture format and demonstrate recipes. This presented a unique challenge: crafting\u00a0value-added recipes using medicinal plants that thrive in all three states\u00a0and are easily accessible to farmers. I devised innovative recipes incorporating\u00a0millets and medicinal wild food plants\u00a0and requested Dr. Arun to serve these dishes to farmers as refreshments after tasting samples.
\nI was grateful for the enthusiastic participation of\u00a0Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from Gohar and Sundernagar, who played a vital role in preparing these recipes, which were highly appreciated and became a highlight of the sessions. Some of the\u00a0innovative recipes\u00a0introduced included\u00a0millet laddus and biscuits enriched with Mucuna, Ashwagandha, Shatavari, and Giloy. Their videos were shared with the farmers. This initiative truly embodied the\u00a0\u2018local for global\u2019\u00a0philosophy. Additionally, we introduced\u00a0badiyan (dried dumplings) made with wild medicinal greens\u00a0such as:
\nTardi-mah-Giloy
\nTardi-mah-Moringa
\nTardi-moong-Watercress
\nThese traditional flavors were brought to the forefront, reinforcing the cultural significance of these plants.<\/p>\n

Haryana: A Village-Centric Learning Experience<\/h2>\n

\"\"
\nThe training commenced on\u00a0January 16 in Palwal, Haryana, and stood out due to its\u00a0village-centric approach. Unlike formal venue workshops serving standard refreshments, this session embraced\u00a0local flavors and health-conscious practices. The farmers’ deep knowledge of medicinal plants was remarkable, highlighting their strong connection to traditional wisdom.
\nOne of the\u00a0most memorable moments\u00a0was a humorous yet touching interaction with a farmer. He earnestly requested my visiting card and was surprised that I didn\u2019t carry one. Instead, he insisted on writing my phone number in his diary and warmly invited me to his village to conduct similar training for\u00a0women farmers. As a gesture of hospitality, he initially offered me\u00a0250g of desi ghee, later increasing the offer to include\u00a0honey\u00a0as well. Although my professional commitments made such visits difficult, the experience reaffirmed the\u00a0importance of direct engagement with farming communities.
\nA key observation from this session was the\u00a0low participation of women farmers\u2014only\u00a010 out of 60 attendees, with just one from an SHG. The women present were in\u00a0full veil (ghunghat), highlighting cultural barriers that limit their engagement. However, the presence of\u00a0natural farming practitioners and local vaidyas\u00a0provided valuable insights into traditional healing practices. One\u00a0vaidya\u00a0expressed newfound awareness of using\u00a0medicinal plants as food\u00a0after attending the session, reinforcing the impact of our work.<\/p>\n

Uttar Pradesh: A High-Turnout Training with Institutional Challenges.<\/h2>\n

\"\"
\nOn\u00a0January 17, we moved to Mathura, with the next session held at\u00a0KVK Mathura on January 18. Unlike Palwal\u2019s\u00a0village setting, this\u00a0government institute lacked the same warmth and support. However, despite the\u00a0foggy weather, an overwhelming\u00a0110 farmers\u00a0attended.
\nA defining moment occurred when a\u00a0distinguished attendee\u00a0walked in mid-presentation. Initially mistaking him for a\u00a0KVK officer, I later discovered he was\u00a0Mathura\u2019s Project Director. His\u00a0positive feedback\u00a0on my topic and his\u00a0immediate order\u00a0to translate my literature into Hindi for\u00a0broader farmer accessibility\u00a0was both surprising and rewarding.
\nObserving that the veils worn by women in Mathura were even\u00a0longer than those in Haryana, but their participation was higher, underscored\u00a0cultural differences\u00a0that affect women\u2019s engagement.
\nAfter the training, we stayed at\u00a0Gowdham Vrindavan, hoping for a\u00a0darshan of Premanand Maharaj Ji, but it wasn\u2019t possible. However, I felt incredibly blessed to visit the Prem Mandir, Banke Bihari Temple and \u00a0ISKCON Temple on January 19\u2014my birthday. The\u00a0mesmerizing architecture and spiritual aura\u00a0made it a memorable day. Before heading to Punjab, we enjoyed a\u00a0delicious Haryanvi meal at Aurangabad Palwal, a perfect way to conclude our stay.<\/p>\n

Punjab: Women Farmers & an Unexpected Foreign Connection.<\/h2>\n

Our final training session on\u00a0January 20 was at Nurpur Bedi, Punjab. Initially\u00a0mistaking it for Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh, I was pleasantly surprised to see\u00a0greater participation of women farmers\u00a0compared to Haryana and UP. However, their\u00a0limited knowledge of local medicinal plants\u00a0was concerning, as was their struggle with\u00a0multiple health issues, reinforcing the urgent need for such interventions.
\nOne\u00a0fascinating encounter\u00a0was with a farmer\u00a0famously called ‘Angreej’ (Englishman). To my surprise, he was originally from\u00a0France\u00a0and had traveled through\u00a0Bangladesh and Pakistan\u00a0before settling in\u00a0India for spiritual purposes. After embracing\u00a0Sikhism\u00a0and marrying locally, he took up farming and ran a\u00a0successful jaggery (gur) business.
\nAnother extraordinary moment was visiting a\u00a0privately developed 1000-hectare forest\u00a0by a farmer who had moved to\u00a0England\u00a0but aimed to\u00a0restore his ancestral land\u00a0as a\u00a0biodiversity hotspot.<\/p>\n

The Road Ahead.<\/h2>\n

This journey reinforced the\u00a0critical role of reviving and disseminating traditional knowledge\u00a0to empower farmers and improve their livelihoods. Every\u00a0training session, farmer interaction, and cultural experience\u00a0reaffirmed the need to\u00a0bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern sustainability practices.
\nWhile Haryana\u2019s farmers exhibited\u00a0strong traditional wisdom, their\u00a0women remained largely excluded\u00a0from such learning opportunities. Mathura\u2019s training, though\u00a0well-attended, suffered from the\u00a0bureaucratic limitations of a government setup. In Punjab, the\u00a0higher participation of women farmers\u00a0was encouraging but also revealed a\u00a0lack of awareness about medicinal plants. Across all three states, there was a\u00a0strong appetite for knowledge\u00a0and a\u00a0willingness to integrate medicinal plants into daily life.
\nSuch training programs\u00a0not only empower farmers\u00a0but also contribute to the\u00a0larger goal of sustainability, health, and livelihood enhancement. The\u00a0enthusiastic response\u00a0to the recipes we introduced and the\u00a0farmers\u2019 eagerness to implement new ideas\u00a0confirmed the success of these efforts.
\nThis experience reaffirmed that a\u00a0healthier community begins with awareness and education\u2014and I remain\u00a0committed to this cause.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Author of this article is Dr. Tara Devi Sen. Head Of the Department Botany, Vallabh Government College Mandi Himachal Pradesh.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reviving Medicinal Knowledge Across States: A Journey Through Farmer Training in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. Dr. Tara Devi Sen. Shimla: Recently, I had the […]<\/p>\n

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