Laishram Nabakishore
- Padmashri Awardee in the field of Herbal Medicine -

By Donny Luwang *

Shri Laishram Nabakishore a renowned personality of Manipur is one of the Indian idols who had been conferred with the very auspicious "Padmashri" award in 2001. The field that is Herbal Medicine for which the award is conferred is very rare, comparing with other fields like social service, Art and Culture, Literature, Theatre, etc.

Laishram Nabakishore in his office.

His invaluable contributions as well as his achievement make the indigenous Herbal Medicine more popular and distinct. He is neither a surgeon nor a certified doctor but more than them, for he has done many great works by giving treatment to the thousands of people who are affected with stone cases and also by giving monetary as well as emotional assistance to the poor and needy people regardless of sex, race and religion etc.

It's quite an amazing and uncanny story Laishram Nabakishore springs up with many sharp answers for those doubtful questions put up before him and not only makes the questions blunted with his industry but also gives a new life and hope for those people inflicted with stone cases with a simple and natural way of treatment without performing surgical operation.

And this bright result of his incessant hardworking in the field of Herbal Medicine, he makes many complicated stone cases put to end with plant medicine made up of various medicinal plants. Moreover, he has been carrying out many other philanthropic activities.

His commitment and multifarious activities for the welfare of the people were given due recognition in the form of awards and honours from various quarters.

Employee working at L. Nabakishore's residence where they make their own medicine for stone cases

The miracle and an expert in the field of Herbal Medicine Laishram Nabakishore were born to late Shri L. Gouramani and Shrimati Dhani of Sagolband Khanam Leirak on 1st March 1938. As he was brought up in a straitened circumstances family, he, from his childhood could see his parents going home to home to do hard labour for their livelihood only.

By the age of nine he himself also started helping them by going home to home to do whatever jobs got there and thus spent a hard and shameful way of life. So to say saddest and hardest time of Nabakishore's life as told was between the ages of nine to sixteen. Due to poverty he could not do any learning what he wanted and wished to do in his life.

It was very telling when he started his first schooling at Budhimanjuri High School, he studied upto eight standards which were against his wish for further education. Before him life struggle hovered and dominated his innocent mind and that made him think to quit study and think of his livelihood only. Inspite of this suddenly a ray of hope came in his life when he got an opportunity to become a teacher in a Government Primary School.

Nabakishore's father was also a man who could make plant medicine and treat many illnesses. This knowledge had been inherited from father to son in course of time. Inspite of being a teacher he started learning and experimenting his father's method of treatment with a great interest.

Along with many questions kept in his mind regarding the properties of our indigenous plants he set out to search for the answers of his self aroused questions with the help of then elderly people and followed them to solve his problems. Though paradoxically (or fortunately), he got a rare chance to experiment his knowledge at the age of 26 when he himself became a victim of stone case.

It seemed as if he got the right and ripe time to apply his hard learnt knowledge. It was fruited with success. Realizing then, the right time to turn his knowledge into concrete words of miracle till now with a sacrificing and servicing out look he has been giving treatment and assistance to more than one lakh of people.

The Stones which Laishram Nabakishore has taken out from various patients.

About 40 patients are given service daily by Nabakishore with his never ending sacrifice and courage. Beside this distinctive quality, he has others good qualities too. He is helper, fellow and a well wisher for those handicapped persons, old and needy people and widows who are severely victimized with all the hardship of life.

Laishram Nabakishore who has also released a documentary film entitled as "The Personification or Incarnation of Sacrifice" based on his kind contributions and work for the betterment of people is an ideal, envied by each and every people for a hope of his rare and precious life.

In honour ofhis charity, Laishram Nabakishore has received many awards and certification; Some of them are

• Press Information Bureau award in the 1996,
• Manipur Voluntary Health Association Certification and awards in 1999,
• Civil Defence Certification by Directorate of Manipur in the year 2000,
• In 2001 he received the prestigious Padmashri Award by the Indian Government,
• "Article Donor" certification from TMNPS in 2005,
• Lion's Club International also gave a "Karmayogi" award in 2005,
• "Dr. Ambedkar Fellowship" award in the year 2006,
• Mahatma Jyotiba Fulle Fellowship award in the year 2007,
• "Dr. Ambedkar Distinguished Service" award in the year 2008 and
• many more in his credits.

And it is also favoured that Laishram Nabakishore will be the first of its kind to receive the coveted "Padma Bhusan Award" from the state which he is going to compete in the coming two years.

And the assistance which he has given to the people are:

1. Free treatment to all the disability and needy people.
2. Awards to all the blind people
3. Cash awards to all the students of class 10 and 12 examination who got the highest marks in Manipuri subject
4. Monthly pension of elder people and Orphans
5. Pension to all the widows of the state
6. Helping to all the poor people who don't have any home.

And some of Nabakishore's Books which is written by him are "Role of Herbals in Urinary Tract and Stone Case Treatment" and a poem book namely "Chummi Haina Loubra? Lalli Haina Loubra?"

See a photo Gallery of Laishram Nabakishore here.

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* Donny Luwang is a young Manipuri writer / reporter based at Imphal. He contributes regularly to e-pao.net.
This article was webcasted at e-pao.net on 11th May 2009.

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