WORKSHOP ON “MOLECULAR INTERVENTION ON ETHNOTRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
Date:29/10/2015
Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology conducted a one day seminar-cum-workshop on ‘Biotechnological Intervention in EthnoTraditional Knowledge System’ at Vigyan Bhawan,Deorali on Thursday.
In the workshop, the resource persons – associate professor at Nowgong College (Assam), Dr. Farishta Yasmin , Scientist at G.B. Pant Institute Pangthang Dr. Lalit Kumar Rai & State Horticulture bamboo consultant Dr. Tika Prasad Sharma – delivered talks on different topics.
The target groups of the workshop program were the research scholars from the department of Botany, Zoology , Sikkim University , Scientific Staffs from Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation & Forest Management Project JRFs,SRFs & RAs of the Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology and the students from the Departmentof Medical Biotechnology , Sikkim Manipal Institute. SSCS&T Additional Director, Remote Sensing Division Mr. Dhiren .G. Shrestha presided over the inagaural session of the workshop Prof. P.K. Mitra , Professor & Head of the Department of Medical Biotechnology , SMIMS was the guest of honour.
Shrestha in his address informed about the Malthusian’s population theory i.e., the population increases geometrically ,While resources increase in arithmetic pattern , which means population growth is exponential & the food supply is expected to be arithmetical . In this scenario , there exists a huge gap of food supply to exponentially growing population & so all the works of research and development must achieve sustenance of resources and output of the research work should reach at the grass root level .
He hoped that young researchers who participated in the workshop should work in the line of above thoughts for the sustenance of Traditional Knowledge system with the help of biotechnological tools and other applications for the betterment of future generations.
The technical session started with the lecture on Traditional knowledge & biotechnology by Dr. Yasmin who shared the way of gaining knowledge about nature in science & in Traditional Knowledge is different to each other .
In science , there involves a detailed study about particular part of nature , while traditional knowledge have a holistic approach on physical , biological & spiritual fields in nature. Science studies nature from the standpoint of an observer, while in traditional knowledge , observers immerse themselves into nature , Dr. Yasmin said.
Dr. Rai delivered his talk on plant Bioresources of Sikkim Himalaya for ethno- traditional knowledge system’. He emphasized on the preservation & protection of the culture because culture is an expression tradition & tradition is the different action which typify the culture . Culture can be depicted through typical foods , clothing's & lifestyles as well as song, dance, folklores , Folk arts, celebrations, rituals , etc., he added .
Dr. Sharma talked on herbal healing practices in Sikkim . He emphasized the need of recognizing the well known & experienced herbal healers from the region . He also shared knowledge on the practical uses of many medicinal plants of Sikkim for treating common human Diseases.
