COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE AMONG INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN JHARGRAM AND PASCHIM MIDNAPUR DISTRICTS

Abstract

People from the Indian states of West Bengal (Jhargram and Paschim Midnapur) use traditional medicine, which is the subject of this study. The research looks at how cultural and environmental factors impact old ways of mending. It finds that areas are both different and the same. The plants that are chosen are affected by ecological factors, while rituals and the sharing of information are affected by cultural factors. Threats include habitat loss and the loss of culture, and Opportunities include protecting biodiversity and making healthcare more officially part of the community. Community-led documentation, partnerships for protecting biodiversity, projects to bring back cultures, integration into healthcare systems, ethical bio-prospecting, and policy lobbying are all thought to play a big part. Modern medicine and traditional medicine should be able to live together peacefully with these plans. They are also meant to protect and promote traditional medicine.