Interactive Sessions with Maiba-Maibi Local Healers in Manipur

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Maiba-Maibi with the writer of this article.

Two Days Interactive Sessions with Maiba-Maibi Local Healers in Manipur

Two days of interactive sessions with Maiba-Maibi (local male and female healers) were held from 24th-25th October 2019 in the 'Traditional Healing Centres' in Imphal West and Imphal East Districts of Manipur.

The main objectives of the interactive sessions were to discuss the problems faced by the local healers, to recognise the importance of indigenous healers and their knowledge systems, the challenges faced by the healers such as dwindling flora, fauna and mineral resources, the challenge in knowledge transmission, challenge of intellectual property rights to the healers, and their integration into mainstream healthcare.

The age-old traditional knowledge base of medicinal plants and herbal healing systems, custodians are the Maiba and Maibi and other folk healers in Manipur.

Unlike AYUSH which follows a codified system, traditional healers are not integrated into the system. The latter follows a non-codified system by passing on their knowledge through oral traditions and learning hands-on practices.

Therefore it is pertinent to question how they can be integrated into the system. The hierarchical structure of health care makes it all the more challenging and difficult for integration. Despite all these challenges posed, efforts are being made such as North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine (NEIFM), The Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) and the role played by Quality Control of India (QCI) to certify the healers across the country.

The healers raised some important underlying issues as to what can the state do with respect to the huge contribution by the traditional healers in providing health care at the primary level? How does each state see the health of its people and relate to the nature and preservation or conservation of the environment? The Maiba and Maibi also pointed out the danger of the dwindling away of traditional knowledge by the influence of development and modernity.

Another issue brought up is the smuggling of this knowledge out of the country and being patented abroad. There have been experiences where officials from state or AYUSH would come and document but never get back to the traditional healers after collecting the materials.

Many times the traditional healers were invited to showcase their practice, but beyond that, they were seldom contacted for any benefit-sharing which was one of the main concerns of the healers. However, the Bio-diversity Act clearly talks about benefit sharing and intellectual property rights, where if any new innovations are being made, it should be shared with the community. Patenting should also be in their name along with other stakeholders.

Asem Tomba, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences, SRM University Sikkim explained the main aim of organizing this type of interactive sessions which is to recognize the contribution of traditional healers to public health, the need to restore their respect, dignity and recognition and support them to run their services more efficiently.

Some traditional healers suggested the provision of simple tools or small support from the state, such as building their herbal garden, healer's hut at panchayat level. Many times, they work free of cost and treat their patients out of passion and altruism.

Some of the key questions he posed during the interactive sessions were the importance of traditional healers in the community, how each diverse ethnic group takes care of their health, what kind of expectations they have from the government especially in support of the healers.

The purpose of the interactive sessions was also to look at the problems and challenges of the healers and how their practice can be revived or revitalized, preserved and promoted by the state and the national bodies. He also spoke on the state resources in terms of flora and fauna and the medicinal plants and within this background how the traditional healers can be supported.

Maiba- Maibi used to treat by herbal medicines and they are working very hard for community health services and promotion for the disease-free and overall well-being of the people. Maiba and Maibi use to treat Primary Health Care treatments.

Just as the modern healthcare treatments have a speciality; the Maiba-Maibi healthcare treatments also have their own kind of speciality such as stone kidney treatments, bone-fractured, sprain injuries treatments in their own field of specialists.

Maiba-Maibi healthcare treatments also include cancer treatments through "Ching-gee Nachan" (a kind of centipede). Maiba and Maibis are surviving with the support and trust of the community.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for scientists and traditional healers to work together to find compounds for anti-diabetic, anti-malarial. He also talked about the different Declarations which call for the protection of indigenous people's rights. There are many cases of the clash between Multinational Corporation and indigenous people's rights. He, therefore, stressed the need for the traditional healers and scientist to work hand in hand.