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INTRODUCTION

1.5 Rationale of the Study

India is a welfare state. Here the administrative policies have direct bearing on the people's economic life eventually leading to several issues in health related sector. In contrast to traditional health care system, the official health care system is based on modern science and technology separating it from broader social and cultural concerns and influences. It is evident that the state-supported modern medical system does not generally recognise the traditional medical systems.

With this backdrop it was suggested that the commissioning of research study on “Indigenous Ethno-Medicinal Practices among Kandhas and Santals of Odisha” would complement to the existing knowledge on the ethno-medicines. This study is one of the best though projects to discover the traditional medicinal practicesthat existamong the tribalsin Odisha state since generations. There are 62 Tribe in the state. Each tribe has its own significance in dealing with traditional medicinal practices. The study is confined to twoTribes, namely the ‘Kandha’

Page 23 and the ‘Santal’. There is need to make a broad based study with limited objectives in order to go into details of the practices adopted by both the Tribes. The findings of the present study will highlight the traditional ways of treating diseases, rituals performed by the healers, therapeuticl agents used in the preparation of medicines, simple methods of diagnosis of diseases, magical ways of treatment, living environment and socio-economic condition in which both healers and patients reside and take care health system.

India is a welfare state. Constitution mandates the state to provide basic health care to all its citizens. Accordingly on the basis of population norms health care service units were established. It has been reported from a few studies that cost of health care for tribal family is beyond its reach and to meet such requirements the tribal families fall in debt trap (Rao 1998) .It is also observed that hunger and disease are closely related the low wage, indebtedness, reduced consumption level loew level of productivity restricted scope of employment etc is a reflective of how the development process has largely bypassed the tribal communities . With evidences of increasing landlessness and the market price of the essential goods (except rice which is given free of cost to all families below poverty level) the tribal illness has serious economic consequences on their fragile incomes. Here the administrative policies have direct bearing on the people's economic aspects eventually leading to several issues in health related sector. In contrast to traditional health care system, the official health care system is based on modern science and technology separating it from broader social and cultural concerns and influences. It is evident that the state-supported modern medical system does not generally recognise the traditional medical systems. Public policy for the walfare of tribal people living in scheduled areas of Odisha was based on the belief that “the basic purpose of development is to enlarge people’s choices to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy life, healthy and creative lives that if economies expands but human lifves shrives there can be very dangerous political and economic explosions.

Several studies have proved that traditional societies do not get the most needed psychological security in modern medical system as it ignores the cultural components of disease and treatment prevailing in a given society. John Bryant (1988) sees the involvement of the individual and the local community in primary health care not as a social nicety; rather as a medical necessity. But services that are delivered from the outside have little effect unless absorbed by the individual and the community. It has been revealed that the diverse

Page 24 and deep-rooted social and cultural phenomenon of a society play important and many a time decisive role in deciding acceptance or non-acceptance of particular health care option.

“Self cure is the best cure”. Almost all the tribal communities till today believe this parlance and practise the make use of “healing herbs”. The existing undocumented tribal healing practices, act as ananswer to a host of their illness, further needs to be researched and documented with a view to explore, explain and experience the scientific elements behind this. The present research investigation and estimate of indigenous medicine will help find the medicinal properties of the herbs and other forest based produces used by the tribal for healing their diseases, which can be put into prospective practice for use in Ayrvedic and other modern medicines so as to address cause of tribal illness locally.

Traditional knowledge system is important for modern societies, not only because traditional knowledge itself is a valuable aspect of cultural heritage and should be protected in its own right, but also because of its great value in modern development, especially regarding the sustainable use of forests, ecosystem services and management. It is an urgent task to record the posterity, whatever is valuable in the tradition of the tribes, their way of life and their knowledge of the plants before all these disappear. Thus, a study regarding nature and extent of acceptance of modern health care facilities among the tribal group was felt essential, so that a holistic approach covering the social and cultural environment of the people can be forwarded towards policy planning.

With this backdrop it was suggested that the commissioning of research study on “Indigenous Ethno-Medicinal Practices among Kandhas and Santals of Odisha” would complement to the existing knowledge on the ethno-medicines. This study is one of the best though projects to discover the traditional medicinal practicesthat existamong the tribalsin Odisha state since generations. There are 62 Tribe in the state. Each tribe has its own significance in dealing with traditional medicinal practices. The study is confined to twoTribes, namely the ‘Kandha’

and the ‘Santal’. There is need to make a broad based study with limited objectives in order to go into details of the practices adopted by both the Tribes. The findings of the present study will highlight the traditional ways of treating diseases, rituals performed by the healers, therapeuticl agents used in the preparation of medicines, simple methods of diagnosis of

Page 25 diseases, magical ways of treatment, living environment and socio-economic condition in which both healers and patients reside and take care health system.