Archive for February, 2008
Monday, February 25th, 2008
The majestic Great One Horned Rhino is a pride of Northeast India but its survival is at danger today. Human interference is one of the major factors responsible for putting the life of One Horned Rhinos at risk. Grazing of livestocks inside the protected areas makes the animals vulnerable to several fatal diseases. Unabated poaching activities mainly for it’s horn is pushing this animal to the brink of extinction. The horn is used as a medicine and an aphrodesiac. Medicinal purposes are as a pain reliever and a fever suppressant. For centuries, Asians have believed that powdered rhino horn could cure everything from fevers and nose bleeds to measles, diphtheria, and food poisoning. Many also believe powdered rhino horn helps retain the vigor of youth and contributes to sexual stamina. However, there are no scientific studies that show that rhino horn is affective for any of these purposes. In addition to the horn, rhino hide; blood, urine, and dung also have economic value.
Recent media reports from Kaziranga National Park on Great One Horned Rhino poaching are shocking and have put the government on tenterhooks. Given the present set of infrastructure that is available with the officials who stay on guard, they simply stand no match with sophisticated weapons the poachers carry. A drastic remedial step against the menace of poaching is something that has to be sorted out today or tomorrow may just be too late when we tell our next generation by just holding a picture on our hands that “look kids this is how a One Horned Rhinos used to look like!”
The state of Assam is well acknowledged for its high ethno-cultural diversity and biological wealth. The state is the highest producer of tea and crude oil through out the nation having lots oil field and other mineral resources which not only enhance the national economy but also meet the need and aspiration of future wealth. Unlike the other region of the nation, the state harbours huge natural resources and provide habitat for many endemic floras and faunas which signifies the importance of biological diversity management in the state in particular and the nation as a whole. Among the important faunal species, The Great One Horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis L.), found only in northern Pakistan, Bangladesh, Assam (India) and some parts of Nepal is one of the natural gift to the state and is a source of attraction for many local and foreign travelers. Rhinoceros the state animal of Assam, locally known as Garh is the pride of Kaziranga National Park with an area of 430 Km² located at Golaghat and Nagaon District of Assam
Taxonomy, Ecology and Behavior
Rhinoceros unicornis L. belongs to the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata and Class Mammalia. The great Indian rhinoceros is active throughout the day, although the middle of the day is spent wallowing and resting in the shade. Wallowing takes place in lakes, rivers, ponds, and puddles, and is especially frequent in the hot seasons to cool off. This activity is believed to be important with thermoregulation and the control of flies. Drinking occurs almost every day, and mineral licks are visited regularly. Population densities vary from 0.4-4.85 animals per square kilometer depending on the habitat. Only the strongest males breed, and they have home ranges between 2-8 square kilometers in size. These home ranges are not true territories, and overlap each other. When disturbed, these rhinos generally flee, though they have been reported attacking, which they do with their head down. Smell is important in communication, with urine, feces, and glandular secretions carrying the messages. Rhinos have very poor eyesight, but their senses of smell and hearing are well developed. The Rhino’s horn is made of keratin, the same material as our hair and fingernails. Despite its thick skin, Rhinos can sun burn easily. Both male and female Rhinoceros unicornis have a single dark horn on the nose measuring up to 529 mm, which is made from agglutinated hairs.
Distribution
The greater one-horned rhinoceros is commonly found only in South Asia and South East Asia. Historically, the rhinos were distributed in the floodplain and forest tracts in Brahmaputra, Ganges and Indus river valley. Today, however, no more than 2,000 remain in the wild, with only two populations containing more than 100 rhinos: Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India (1,200) and Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nepal (600).
Habitat & Feeding
Alluvial plain is the primary and preferred habitat. Adjacent swamp and forest areas are also used. Rhinoceros are herbivorous in nature. They feed on grass, fruit, leaves, branches, aquatic plants, and cultivated crops. Tall reedy grasses are preferred to short species. When eating aquatic plants, Rhinoceros submerge their entire heads and tear the plant up by the roots. Foraging occurs at night, in early morning, or late afternoon to avoid the heat of the day. Rhinoceros unicornis drinks daily and is fond of mineral licks.
Reproduction
Breeding occurs throughout the year. Only dominant bulls mate, and it is believed that they can assess the reproductive status of females through scent. Courtship may seem aggressive. Males chase females and sometimes fighting often ensues. After a gestation period of 480 days, one young is born weighing 70 kg. Weaning usually occurs in one year, although it may last up to 18 months. Females have young at intervals of about three years. One week before the next birth, the female will chase away her previous calf. Sexual maturity is reached at an age of 9 years for males, and 4 for females. The lifespan is about 40 years.
Conservation Status and Threats
The great Indian rhinoceros is listed as endangered (EN B1+2cde) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (1996). The main source of danger for this (and all) rhinos is the Oriental belief that its horn, among other parts, has medicinal or magical properties. The Indian rhinoceros was already considered a ‘vanishing race’ by the beginning of the 20th century, primarily due to the conversion of alluvial plain grassland to cultivated fields. Hunting, was also a factor in the decimation of the population. Despite protection measures, poaching remains a serious threat today due to the demand for rhino horn in Oriental medicine; in 1994 for example, a kilogram of rhino horn was worth approximately US$60,000.
(Courtesy: Arunachal Front, Volume one No. 178, 24 February 2008.)
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Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
Four gentlemen visited me in my office.They came to say goodbye to me. They did not want to be part of this world.. They blamed me for their departure from this world… “It is a shame that individuals like you are forcing us to leave this world. We came here with a noble intention but it seems that you are not interested in us at all . You will suffer all along your life Vish. We curse you……”
” Go to Hell” I said. I have been doing my duty to the best of my abilities and you seem to say that i have been responsible for your exit….”
Turning to the Happiness, the first gentlemen, I said ” You have failed to cheer up people….. so don’t open your mouth…”
To Honesty I said ” You have lost all interest in mankind….You are selfish and care only about yourself… Who cares for you anyway?…”
To Integrity I said ” You fear to partner with ordinary human beings and roam around only with the great people. So Get lost this moment….
To Knowledge I said ” You want to share your secrets only with few people. You are afraid that if everyone knows these secrets your value will be undermined.. You are playing a game and your intentions are not genuine, I don’t need you in any case…
All the four gentlemen left my office. I heaved a sigh of relief. I became light… These four people had good characteristics but they put too much pressure on my being…..
Everyone in this world is trying to be happy….
Everyone in this world is trying to be honest…
Everyone in this world is trying to integrate their inner world with the outer…
Everyone in this world is trying to acquire knowledge…
And they keep trying for the rest of their life……
They will never succeed. How many people have been born and how many have died?. Billions have come and gone and all we have been doing is trying, trying and trying…. We are failing,failing and keep failing….
The reason is simple. …
We tried to find happiness in only good things ,not the bad ones. Who told you my dear friend that happiness means showing of all your teeth? Who gave you the permission to deny happiness in sorrow and pain? Which school of thought related happiness with only pleasure…You belittled your own happiness and forced me to drive this gentlemen away from your life….
Majority of the human beings are honest. They pay all their bills on time and never cheat other people. But they cheat themselves. When you heard that faint voice from within you say something why did you not pay attention to it ?. Why were you not honest to all those wonderful things your inner voice whispered to you? Why did you cheat it my dear friend? Why did you not have the guts to follow it? Why? Why? Why? You did not earmark a place for honesty and forced me to drive this gentlemen away from your life….
You balanced your personal life with your professional life. At least you attempted to do.. But you never cared a damn about balancing your inner world with the outer. You gave it the stupid name of spirituality and gave it the last preference. When everything else failed you took shelter in your inner self. You are not ashamed to visit the bank everyday,you are not ashamed to have sex everyday but you have problems praying to God,to evoke your inner being,to visit a temple,church or mosque…everyday. You thought you could integrate your inner self with the outer at a later date, which stupid thought gave you permission to think in this manner my dear friend? You lost out on a golden opportunity to tap into the vast potential of your higher self and realize all your dreams … You forced me to drive this gentlemen away from your life….
You gave education a lot of respect. I appreciate you for that. You worked hard on your education and you did very well. I salute you for that. But where is the sharpness of the mind… where is the concentration of the mind… How did doubt creep up in your mind, from where did insecurity manage to get in, how did you allow fear to enter into your premises?. How could these have happened if you had the real knowledge? Education is knowing the external world and knowledge is about mastering your inner being. You were educated but you lacked knowledge. You were an individual who went into the battlefield with all the tools but you did not know which territory to capture. You captured everything which came your way and this spelt doom for you… You could see but you could not visualise. You were strong but you were not powerful. You were wealthy but you were not rich. You were happy but you were not blissful… You were ignorant about knowledge and paid no attention to it. You had everything and yet you had nothing…. You forced me to drive this gentlemen away from your life….
“Relax….” said the four gentlemen to me… “We will give you and everyone else another chance. This time we will go out of our way to help everyone.. We promise you that… We will work one on one with every individual . We will work day and night for you. We will help you restore beauty in this world…
I thought about for a moment. Should i accept their proposal… Are these four guys genuine…?
I rose from the table and slapped them hard on their face. I returned home… “Daddy what happened to you, did someone hit you on your face. Your face is all red and swollen” said my six year old son. I looked at the mirror. I could see the four gentlemen smiling. Their face were not red and swollen… They were not affected by my reaction. ” We are here to stay and help you… We are not going anywhere.We look forward to your criticism and active participation….” they seemed to say… I was embarrassed. My child came running. I hid my face. He forced it open with his gentle hands. The redness had disappeared and so was the swelling… We hugged each other.The four gentlemen also participated…… A beautiful world was created that very moment…
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Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
Someone was holding a gun at the back of my head. He never pulled the trigger but it always scared me to hell ! I was always a frightened individual. I became nervous and used to panic at small things going wrong. Everywhere i went the gun man followed me… to work, to the bank, to the airport, to the malls, to bed and even when i was asleep….. He never pulled the trigger, perhaps he never wanted to…..
Whenever i wanted to speak up, the gunman raised his voice and i mellowed down like a tame lamb. All times, that i wanted to express my views he would simply tell me to shut up…. There were occasions when i wanted to share my views with people but the moment i rose to speak the gunman made me nervous… My palm used to get wet , i used to panic and everything fell apart…. It seemed to me that he wanted to nip my courage in the bud… This continued for more than 10 years… I got used to the gunman…..
I never ventured to do anything courageous. I went about my daily activities like a hostage pushed from one cell to another….One day i told my five year old son about the gunman… I lacked the courage to tell anyone else…. My son got pretty excited and told me “Dad i would like to meet the gunman…. Next time that he holds the gun at the back of your head call me. I will slowly get behind him and shoot him with my machine gun(he love his toy) and he will die……..” I had a hearty laugh after a long time….
That night i drew little courage from those bold words of my son. I thought instead of shooting him from the back why don’t i take shelter at some place where he can never follow me.Various ideas came to my mind and then a powerful voice spoke from within ……
” When you pray to God and surrender to Him the gunman would never be visible…..
” When you do anything creative you would never spot the gunman…..
“When you listen to your real self, your inner voice the gunman would disappear…
All other times he would follow you…. ”
The powerful voice disappeared….
I was thrilled… Finally, i had found a way to get rid of the gunman.But the very next moment I was frightened again. I prayed to God for only five minutes, i was not a creative person and i never had the habit of listening to my inner voice… So what do i do….?
The powerful voice spoke again….
“Practise seeing the good and the bad in the world through the Lord’s eyes… Use His eyes to see the world and use your eyes to see your inner world…. That way you will be praying to Him all day…..
You don’t have to be a poet,painter, or a writer to be a creative person.. Creativity can be applied to anything that you do.. Creativity is nothing but a slight shift in your thinking pattern, where you allow a greater force to take over you… You don’t apply pressure on yourself, you don’t try to do anything intelligent , you don’t make use of your memory. You allow yourself to travel to a place beyond your senses where the rules of external world do not apply. You allow yourself to be unpredictable and illogical and yet your work would take a shine of its own, a beauty which is unparallel to anything created so far……. Anyone can do this… The best way to get started is to consciously imagine a new world and willingly enter into it…..
Your inner voice was always speaking to you but you had muted it’s voice… You were so engrossed in listening to the stupid tapes which was playing day in and day out in your mind without your knowledge.. All you need to do is practice being silent for a while and you would start listening to your inner voice….
Practice all the above three things and soon the gunman would disappear all by himself…. ”
The powerful voice disappeared…
The next day i woke up in the middle of the night. I heard a gun shot… I looked around and could find no one… I looked inside of me and found a dead man holding a gun in his hand… On a closer look his face resembled mine.. The force of God has shot my lower self in the dark….
Empower Yourself Today and learn the proven methods of greatness and glory
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Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
How often have you sat down to a good meal and it seemed incomplete without a dessert? Similarly, a repast of a mind-boggling menu may fizzle out like a damp squib unless the tea it off ers is good. Tea – the most common drink in the world next only to water – is unmatched in its qualitative variety. A connoisseur of tea never fails to talk in glowing terms about good tea whenever he happens to taste it.
Assam tea is known for its fabulous blend of taste, liquor and colour. If you prefer tea as an energizer, certainly the Assam variety would top the list. You will be amazed at the instantaneous effect of this quintessential brew. Th e first flush tea refreshes you with a rich and pleasurable aroma while the second flush produces the famous tippy tea having the most sought-after brew. The universally acclaimed black tea of Assam is a phenomenon with three varieties: orthodox, CTC (crush, tear and curl) and (CTC+orthodox)
Assam seems to be providentially ordained for tea-plantation. Earlier, tea bushes were a part of Assam’s natural fl ora. Centuries ago, Robert Bruce – a British adventurer, confi rmed this in 1823. Lord Bentinck, the then Viceroy of India, immediately seized upon the commercial viability of this indigenous plant. What followed was an epoch-making history of Assam. Signifi cantly, the Assam Company was the fi rst tea company in the world. On account of geopolitical remoteness, the rest of the world knew very little of Assam. But its tea is now a household name all over the world.
FIRST TEA EXPORT AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Assam tea was the first Indian tea to be exported. The consignment arrived in London on 23rd January, 1839 and it was put for auction on 10th February, 1839. Today, Guwahati has one of the largest tea-auction centres of the world. As for international relations, Assam has raised what seems like a resuscitating breeze in a teacup. Th e proposal for introducing goods train services from India to Pakistan has received a green signal from both the countries. Among the goods, it is the popularity of Assam tea which has the leading role behind the friendly pact.
Unless you visit tea gardens, you cannot get an idea of the sheer magnitude of an industry that produces our indispensable morning beverage. I am sure, as you visit a tea garden in Assam, your heart would leap up as Wordsworth’s must have done when he saw his daff odils. The rippling greenery of tea gardens is a veritable feast to city-weary eyes.
LIFE IN TEA GARDENS
Most tea gardens look beautiful, and each tells a story. But beneath that seemingly tranquil surrounding, you can’t miss the haunting loneliness that has become an inseparable part of the lives of their inhabitants. Considering the perks and the facilities which tea garden employees enjoy, their life seems enriched materialistically. Transcendentally too, it may be an ideal life because they share a close intimacy with verdant Nature. However, since normal interaction with hospitality of the residents becomes evident in their welcome and treatment to visitors.
And if you are a little keen, you can also enjoy a live demonstration of teaprocessing: withering, rolling, cutting, fermenting, drying. People can gloat over the huge piles of tea-packets getting ready for both domestic and international markets and imagine enviously the cashregisters ringing there. If only they knew the heart-wringing labour and the meticulous care that go into the making of tea. Undeniably a gift of nature, Assam tea is nurtured by its people. While the sun and moon, the earth, wind and mist team up like clockwork to produce these exquisite teas, the workers process them behind the scenes to perfection.
While in Assam, spend a day or two in a few of its tea estates. There are nearly 188 major tea estates in Assam managed by different private companies. As you return from there, you carry the moving impression that processing actual tea from raw tealeaves is like the uphill task of making a home out of the brick and mortar walls. If you miss this take-home message of the vibrantly committed life there, then maybe you are from another planet.
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Tuesday, February 19th, 2008
In the contemporary global milieu with colossal industrial revolution, cultural imperialism, and quantum bound in technology have increasingly estranged the human being from its natural environment and checking environmental degradation. One of the domino effect is incessant land degradation that in long run may lead to desertification. Though in recent past, desertification is not evident in north east India, but land degradation has been recorded in all the states of the region including Arunachal Pradesh, due to extensive exploitations of timbers and non-timber forest produces, and land resources for shifting agriculture.
Traditional communities and alien population inhabiting the region needs to learn a gigantic example from global desertification, and have to be in a genuine partnership in combating global desertification initiated by United Nation. Over the years, desertification occurs mainly in semi-arid areas bordering on deserts but can not be denied in north eastern India, if land degradation and bio-resources exploitation remain unchecked. It is matter of fact that some 10 to 20% of dry-lands are already degraded, and the ongoing desertification threatens the world’s poorest populations.
At this point of time, it is important for all section of society to know the immediate causes and measure to check the desertification. The main cause of desertification is the removal of vegetation, which in turn leads to unprotected, dry soil surfaces, which may blow away with the wind or are washed away by flash floods, leaving infertile lower soil layers that bake in the sun and become an unproductive hardpan. However, the other factors that can trigger desertification are the overgrazing, cultivation in marginal lands (i.e. lands on which there is a high risk of crop failure and a very low economic return), growing populations that increase pressure on fragile land resources and inappropriate agricultural technologies.
The factors leading to desertification are extremely evident in the north eastern India in general, Arunachal Pradesh in particular. For example removal of vegetation is a cultural practice in the region particularly for jhum cultivation, which is the livelihood sustenance of the upland traditional communities. In olden period it was sustainable due to long fallow age, however in recent past shortening of fallow age make vulnerable to soil degradation and desertification. The declining of forest cover in some state has already been recorded by the Forest Survey of India. During a decade (1991-2001), Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya have lost nearly 802, 819, 844, 458 and 49 sqkm of forest respectively.
Scientific communities across the world have expressed concern over the desertification, which is one of the greatest environmental challenges today and constitutes a major barrier to meeting basic human needs. Estimates suggest that 35% of the earth’s land surface is at risk, and the livelihoods of 850 million people are directly affected. Nearly 75% of the world’s drier lands (45,000,000 sqkm) are affected by desertification, and every year 6,000,000 hectares of agricultural land are lost and become virtual desert. The United Nations Environment Programme has estimated that 4.5 billion dollars will be needed to be spent every year for the next twenty years to prevent the process of desertification.
Effective prevention of desertification requires management and policy approaches that promote sustainable resource use. Major policy interventions and changes in management approaches, both at local and global levels, are needed in order to prevent, stop or reverse desertification. The creation of a “culture of prevention” that promotes alternative livelihoods and conservation strategies can go a long way toward protecting the fragile north eastern region of India from desertification. It requires a drastic change in policy intervention and government attitude. Building on traditional ecological knowledge evolved through informal experimentation over centuries and amalgamation of location specific scientific innovations will be the possible option left to prevent desertification, which requires integration of policy planning, technologies and active participation of local communities.
To conclude it would not be incorrect to say that if we do not act now tomorrow may be too late. True that desertification in our part of the north east India is not an immediate danger. But the extent of environmental degradation that is taking place in the region may invite desertification in time to come. Lets wake up to the call and make the globally acknowledged biodiversity hotspots region and land of diverse traditional communities be a desert free world.
Meanwhile, it would be worth mentioning here that the North East Unit of G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development (GBPIHED) based at Itanagar in it’s endeavor has taken up research and development activities to scientifically evaluate, monitor and transfer a number of low cost and environmentally sustainable technologies that are based on agriculture in the mountain ecosystems. Jhum (shifting) cultivation, the most debated cause of deforestation, has been given special importance and technologies like Contour Hedgerow Farming and Modified Jhum System have been successfully tested wherein the agronomic yield and ecological sustainability have remarkably improved. The Unit has been providing training on these technologies to a number of stakeholders of the Northeastern states including Arunachal Pradesh to make the shifting agro-ecosystem sustainable thereby reduce deforestation and land degradation. On the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification under the theme “Desertification and Climate Change -One Global Challenge”, GBPIHED, Itanagar organized a plantation drive on 17th June 2007 with active participation of the villagers in the identified jhum fallow lands at selected villages. Some medicinally important plant sapling particularly of Neem (Azadirachta indica) and Agar (Aquilaria agallocha) are planted on the occasion to encourage the villagers for afforestation with cash generation plant species that may help to create agro-forestry type human modified ecosystem for sustainable development.
[Courtesy: The Arunachal Times. 2007;19(12)]
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Tuesday, February 19th, 2008
Introduction:
The use of plants in curing various human ailments is known since time immemorial. In recent past, despite considerable progress made in synthetic drugs, plant constituents are still considered as major sources of valuable medicines. It is estimated that close to 15% of the 70,000 known plant species have medicinal properties. Fransworth and Soejarto (1991) and Pei (2001) reported that about 70-80% of people worldwide rely chiefly on traditional, largely herbal medicine to meet their primary healthcare needs. India has a rich heritage of traditional system of medicine that is mostly based on formulations derived from herbs, shrubs, trees, vines and some animal products. The country has 45,000 different plant species and 15000 medicinal plants that include 7000 plants used in Ayurveda, 700 in Unani, 600 in Siddha, 450 in Homeopathy and 30 in modern medicines. The Himalayas and the Western Ghats are exceptionally rich in medicinal plants. A survey conducted by the All India Coordinated Research Project on Ethnobiology (AICRPE) during the last decade recorded over 8000 species of wild plants used by the tribals and other traditional communities in India for treating various health problems.
India, one among the 12 mega bio-diversity hotspot countries of the world having only 2 % of world’s total land area, accounts for over 11% of the recorded plant species of the world. Traditionally it produces enormous plant based raw material, which is used globally as ingredients or raw materials in various drugs, pharmaceuticals, perfumery, aroma chemicals and related industries. The Indian drug industry is estimated to have an annual turn over of Rs. 4000/- crores. The medicinal plant industry is on the verge of entering into a high growth phase particularly in herbs required for production of Ayurvedic medicines. As per a report of World Health Organization (WHO), there is about US$ 62 billion market turnover of herbal plant products and it is estimated to increase to US$ 5 trillion by 2050. The market of Ayurvedic medicines is estimated to be expanding 20% annually in India. Beside, it plays a significant role in the subsistence economy of the rural people, especially those living in the rugged and impoverished hills, mountains and rural interiors. Therefore the value of medicinal herbs to human livelihoods is essentially infinite.
Northeast India comprises the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim is known for its rich biological and cultural diversity and the unique Brahmaputra river system. Based on its physiography and biological composition, the region can broadly be differentiated into the eastern Himalayas, Northeast hills and Brahmaputra plains. Its unique situation at the confluence of the Indo-Malayan, Indo-Chinese and Indian bio-geographical regions coupled with its diverse physiography has generated a profusion of habitats, which harbours diverse biota with high-level endemism. The entire region is a part of Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot, one of 25 such hotspots in the world. The region is home of over one hundred tribal communities with distinct socio-cultural settings and a large percentage of the population is dependent on traditional natural resource-based livelihood sustenance. Its strategic location at the confluence of south, southeast and East Asia made it an important gateway between peoples of the region as well as isolates it from the rests part of the country.
A wide range of physiography, eco-climatic conditions, varied vegetation and forest types adequately expressed themselves in giving rise to rich gene pool both of wild and cultivated plant species. The region exhibits innumerable varieties and kinds of orchids, horticultural plants, bamboos, canes, dye, fibre/resin yielding plants, wild relatives of cultivated plants and blessed with a matchless wealth of medicinal plant.
A cornucopia of herbal wealth is exists in different parts of northeastern states extending from the dry alpine scrub zone and sub-tropical zone in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim to tropical moist deciduous forest and tropical wet evergreen forest in Assam and Tripura. The physiographic divisions, viz. Meghalaya plateau, the northeastern hills and basins, and Brahmaputra valley along with the diverse ethnic groups with their own faiths, beliefs and experiences on plants, facilitate the region to be a veritable treasure house of medicinal plants and provide suitable conditions for growth.
Plant folk medicines used in northeast India alone represent more than 950 species reported as a result of more than 150 ethnobotanic case studies. There are over 20 most prominently used medicinal plant species found in North-east India. A large number of medicinal and aromatic plants having export potentialities and trade values are found in the region and are the source of some specific ingredients of reputed pharmaceutical values throughout the world.
Much of the tropical plants like Adhatoda zeylanica, Centella asiatica, Emblica officinalis, Piper mullesua, Terminalia bellirica, T. chebula and many others are found in lower and mid hill regions of all the states. The sub-tropical species such as Acorus calamus, Terminalia chebula, Sapindus pinnatus, Melia azadiracta, Solanum khasianum, Aspagarus racemosus, Rauvolfia serpentina, Dioscorea bulbifera, Aristolochia indica, etc. temperate species such as Swertia chirayata, Taxus baccata, Valerina wallichii, Angelica glauca, Glycyrriza glabra, Tagetus minuta, Viola odorata, Sapindus pinnatus, Rubia cordifolia, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Zanthoxylum armatum, Valerina jatamansi, Hippophae rhamnoides, Artemesia vulgaris, etc. and alpine species like Aconitum ferox, Podophyllum hexandrum, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Nardostachys jatamanshi, Bergenia purpurascens, etc.
Realizing the importance and potential of medicinal plants, North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) initiated a scheme of commercializing a few high value medicinal and aromatic plants such as Patchouli (Pogostamon cablin) and Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) as the starting crops as these plants are in demand at national/international markets. Cultivation and farming of medicinal plants require better understanding of the agro-climatic and edaphic condition, propagation and other management techniques. The indigenous communities have a tradition of practicing mixed farming systems that includes herbal species. Therefore, organic cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants especially applying and certified farming concepts has a greater scope in the region. Unlike the other parts of the country, in Northeast India medicinal plants are collected from wild sources and there is lack of effort on scientific farming. Many government organizations and research institutions like State Forest Research Institute (SFRI) Arunachal Pradesh, Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Jorhat have come forward with suitable agro technology of about 35 medicinal plants in the region. However a full documentation of medicinal plants of the region and development of protocols for farming of each species are yet to be developed. The National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) has identified and prioritized 32 species for large-scale cultivation, which are suited to diverse agro-climatic zones of the country. These plants can be grown in almost any type of land like homesteads, community and village lands, rural areas, vicinity of agricultural and horticultural fields, jhum fallows, forested locations, etc. in various altitudes. Recently, NEDFi has set up a state of art R & D centre for medicinal and aromatic plants near Guwahati in Assam and is the first of its kind in the region with an aim of deciphering this nature’s bounty into applicable wealth. However, successful cultivation and commercialization needs people participation and transparent financial back up by different financial institution or dynamic investors. It is thus necessary to maintain coordination between government agencies, developmental policies and biodiversity conservation strategies. Policies should maintain critical balance between the ideology of conservation and the imperatives of development to involve local communities as the principal stakeholders of bio-resources.
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Monday, February 18th, 2008
Morinda citrifolia, the Indian Mulberry or Indian Noni commonly known as great Morinda is a shrub or small tree in the family of Rubiaceae which usually grow upto a height of 6 m or more and the stem grows upto 13 cm or more in diameter at maturity. It is native to Southeast Asia and South Pacific and now has a pan-tropical distribution. The plant beans flower and fruit throughout the year. It has large evergreen leaves and its small white flowers sprout at various times during the year. The flowers then develop to a translucent-juicy-fruit. The greenish-white to pale-yellow, fleshy fruits are 5 to 7 cm long. The fruit has a lumpy texture and looks similar to a hand grenade. It has an unpleasant odour and has a rancid taste and smells when fully ripened. They contain a number of seeds of about 4 mm long. Noni is renowned in India for its unique ability to be used as a remedy in a number of ailments. The fruit of the Noni was an important source of food for the early Polynesians, who consumed it in times of famine. Australian aborigines were fond of the fruit and people in Burma cooked unripe fruits in curries and ate the ripened fruit raw with salt. The seed, leaf, bark, and root were also eaten by people versed in the healing properties of this unique. Amazingly, every part of the Morinda citrifolia plant is used. Distribution Morinda citrifolia is grown in a wide range of environments including rocky terrains, fertile lowlands and sandy areas but is found in most of the island terrains of the South Pacific of Tahiti, Hawaii, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Africa, Guam and West Indies. Although it grows naturally only a few meters above sea level, Noni can be cultivated on sites up to 800 m or more above sea level. Noni is most competitive on sands and loamy sands but will grow on soils of all other textures if planted and protected from competition. Noni grows naturally on the edges of mangroves in coastal forests, and on the landward side of beach strand vegetation. The species is grown in plantations as an ornamental and as a garden medicinal tree. The species is useful for coastal erosion control and it is planted as an ornamental in some areas. Noni also grows as a recent introduction around villages or in home gardens. Banana (Musa sp), Papaya (Carica papaya), Pandanus (Pandanus sp.) etc are the associated species of Noni. Distribution Morinda citrifolia is grown in a wide range of environments including rocky terrains, fertile lowlands and sandy areas but is found in most of the island terrains of the South Pacific of Tahiti, Hawaii, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Africa, Guam and West Indies. Although it grows naturally only a few meters above sea level, Noni can be cultivated on sites up to 800 m or more above sea level. Noni is most competitive on sands and loamy sands but will grow on soils of all other textures if planted and protected from competition. Noni grows naturally on the edges of mangroves in coastal forests, and on the landward side of beach strand vegetation. The species is grown in plantations as an ornamental and as a garden medicinal tree. The species is useful for coastal erosion control and it is planted as an ornamental in some areas. Noni also grows as a recent introduction around villages or in home gardens. Banana (Musa sp), Papaya (Carica papaya), Pandanus (Pandanus sp.) etc are the associated species of Noni. Propagation Noni is relatively easy to propagate from seeds, stem or root cuttings and air layering. The preferred methods of propagation are by seed and by cuttings made form the stem verticals. Fruits are harvested when they start turning white or even when they have become fully ripe, i.e., soft, translucent and characteristically odorous. For seed production, the riper the fruit the better is the production. Environmental Preferences for Noni
- Mean annual rainfall: 250-4000 mm
- Mean annual temperature: 20-350C
- Mean maximum temperature of hottest month: 32-380C
- Mean maximum temperature of coldest month: 5-180C
- Minimum temperature tolerated: 120C
- Soil
- Drainage: It prefers well drained soils
- Acidity: It can grow in a wide range of acidity levels from acidic to alkaline soils.
- Tolerance: Tolerates shallow, saline and even infertile soils.
- Drainage: It prefers well drained soils Acidity: It can grow in a wide range of acidity levels from acidic to alkaline soils. Tolerance: Tolerates shallow, saline and even infertile soils.
- Drought: It can easily withstand drought for 6 months or more. Wild Noni grows in arid conditions and can spend their entire life in conditions of perpetual drought.
- Shade: It can grow in a wide range of light intensities from full sun to 80% shade.
- Fire: It can regenerate after fire by sprouting new foliage from roots or stems.
- Water logging: It can withstand and even thrives in brackish tide pools.
Medicinal Use Over the last decade, a growing number of people has become interested in the medicinal uses of Noni juice, made from the fruit of Noni. Noni has been used in folk remedies by Polynesians for over 2000 years and is reported to have a wide range of therapeutic effects including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, antihelmin, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing effects. Noni fruit contains a number of enzymes (proteins) and alkaloids that are believed to play a pivotal role in maintaining a good health. Some of the health related compounds isolated from Noni are Morindone, Morindine, Acubin, Caprylic acid, Scopoletin, Damnacanthala and alkaloids. In 2003, Noni juice was approved by the European Commission as a novel food and was allowed to be commercialized in the EU. Hawaiian Noni is used as a remedy for joint pains, immune problems, pain relief, cellular regeneration and more. The following points out the traditional use of Noni as medicine for different ailments in different parts of the world. Parts of the Noni fruit are used as a tonic and against fever (China, Japan, and Hawaii). Leaves, flowers, fruit, and bark can treat eye problems, skin wounds and abscesses, gum and throat problems, respiratory ailments, constipation, and fever (Pacific Islands, Hawaii). Used to treat stomach pains and after delivery (Marshall Islands). Heated leaves are applied to the chest to relieve coughs, nausea, and colic (Malaysia India). Juice of the leaves is taken for arthritis (India, Philippines). The fruit is taken for lumbago, asthma and dysentery (India, China). Pounded unripe fruit is mixed with salt and applied to cuts and broken bones. Ripe fruit is used to draw out pus from an infected boil (Hawaii). Juices of over-ripe fruits are taken to regulate menstrual flow and ease urinary problems (India, Malaysia). The fruit can be used to make shampoo (Malaysia, Hawaii) and to treat head lice (Hawaii). Other exotic diseases treated with the plant include diabetes (widespread) and venereal diseases (Hawaii). Scientific studies have investigated Noni’s effect on the growth of cancerous tissue. One such study revealed that Noni inhibited and reduced growth of the capillary vessels sprouting from human breast tumor explants and, at increased concentrations, the Noni caused existing vessels to rapidly degenerate. Another scientific study showed one brand of Noni juice (”TNJ”) to have prevented formation of cancer cells in rats (using detection methods of bio-chemical markers called DNA adducts). It further showed to reduce the number of DNA adducts in rats induced with carcinogenic DMBA, in some cases, by up to 90%. Looking at the wide range of prospects that Noni can offer in terms of medicinal properties, it is quite clear that the plant can be exploited for the benefit of human race. Current trends reflect that people have a more inclination towards herbal medicines for its healing properties and no side effects. Noni best suits the current proposition where it has proved that it has got tremendous medicinal properties and is being used even in the treatment of cancer. Given the conditions that are required for the Noni to grow, it would be a good idea if its cultivation is encouraged in the state. If successful, it may give a boost to the local economy through commercialization.
[Courtesy: Indian Noni (Morinda citrifolia L): The Wonder Plant. Pub: Echo of Arunachal. 28th Feb, 2007; 88Vol XX, No. 8]
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Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
Human mind and human motivation are complicated phenomenon. And for a film maker like Claude Lelouch these complicacies are food for thought which led him to make his latest film Crossed Tracks which deals with the behavior of the inner and outer sides of the human minds. And when the film script deals with the hidden desires of the mysterious characters, the film becomes a thriller. Crossed Tracks belong to this category where a popular writer seeks characters for her new novel, who sends her secretary to find the new plots and characters, who happens to be her ghost writer. On the highway this dejected ghostwriter meets a hairdresser, who befriends with him and that leads him to plot his new story for the writer.
Like the crossed tracks, the individual characteristics of each character crissed-crossed at some point and unveil their mysteries of life. In a very narrative style Lelouch unveil the whole portrait of the story and explores the critical individualism of human kind. The film travels between fiction and reality where the ghost writer tries to gather new plots for the popular writer who gathers fame on his talent. And in reality this ghost writer who is so much humiliated by the writer. In his search of new plots and characters he meets one hairdresser and at the turn of the events and time she becomes his protagonist of the new story and his soul mate.
A director’s creative achievement lies there where he can use and handle his characters to tell the story in a very distinctive way, where story remains intact and the characters move accordingly. Apart from that, opening up the inner space of the each character needs to be looked into very carefully. Since this movie is all about some individual’s own psychology where they live happily or unhappily, the director successfully using the time and space of the film to express his art of telling story through moving images. And as a thriller this is the point of success of the film though this film does not represent the real aesthetics of the French films who contributed the idea of “New Age” to the world of films.
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Monday, February 4th, 2008
Most affiliates get sales from the respective affiliate programs they belong to by selling directly to visitors.
But what about the 2nd Tier?
Many affiliates programs allow you to sign up affiliates under you so you can earn commissions from the sales that YOUR affiliates are making. This is commonly referred to as the 2nd tier.
However it is often ignored.
Many of the most successful affiliates have built a huge 2nd tier in their programs where they have hundreds of other people all earning commissions for them.
This means they earn a lot of their commissions from the indirect sales. It also means they do not have to concentrate so much on the direct sales. This frees up more of their time
to work on promoting some of their other affiliate programs.
Think about the power of the 2nd tier.
You do one piece of work - getting an affiliate signed up under you in one of your affiliate programs.
Then each of those affiliates sell the particular product or service separately themselves. Any sales that they make, you make a commission.
The commission you make for the 2nd tier is much less than the direct commission. But if you have hundreds of affiliates under you, these many small amounts dwarf the 1 larger amount.
If they sell this week. You get paid. If they sell next week.
You get paid again. And if they sell next month. You STILL get paid.
You get paid each time they get paid.
Some affiliate programs allow you to earn commissions from your affiliates for many years. So by doing a little work today you can be earning commissions for years to come.
So do not just sell direct to your visitors. Entice your visitors to become affiliates as well.
Show them the benefits of joining an affiliate program. Tell them how much money they could make. Motivate them to sign up as an affiliate under you.
In the long run this strategy will prove to be very successful for you.
Don’t forget the 2nd tier. It may be more valuable than you think.
Posted in Article Marketing | No Comments »
Monday, February 4th, 2008
We live in a sea of information. And information overload is an increasingly common complaint. Part of the complaint arises because we get hit with different headlines that point to the same content. So we waste time on things that have no added value. Bummer.
When you email your list or put up content on your site, and assuming you want to generate loyalty, it’s necessary that you have content others haven’t seen a dozen times elsewhere.
If this makes sense to you, here are some ideas you can use to EASILY generate fresh content with a minimal amount of time and effort.
First of all, think about a subject in which you are interested. Let’s say it’s horticulture. Now if you’re not aware of it, let me put you in the picture. Most people do web searches from Google’s home page and stop there. Not at all creative. Not at all digging for information from which to develop original content.
So let’s go exploring…
1 - Google has lots of tools besides just web searches. They let you check the news. (http://news.google.com) As of this writing, there are 1,680 news items listed by Google on the word horticulture. Bet you could easily do a summary of some of these articles and create your own content. But let’s not stop there.
2 - Google also has “groups.” (http://groups.google.com/) These are folks who like to discuss *your* subject. So now you can go even farther. Look up horticulture in their groups. Now this information is potentially gold. Why? Because you can see what it is about horticulture that lots of folks are interested in.
Think you might be able to do a little research and come up with a free or even a for-profit report that gives them what they want?
Check out Google’s other tools, too. You can even get research info from universities through Google. Start here: http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/
3 - Next method: Do this search (keeping in the punctuation as written):
+horticulture +free +filetype:pdf
As of this writing, Google shows 196,000 hits for this query. What you get here are free downloads in pdf format about your subject.
Now you can’t simply copy and use it as your own information. You have to create your writing in your own words. But there’s no law that says you can’t summarize what you find in other people’s works. To make the point, you could even call your work something like: “Survey Report: Latest from the Horticulture Front!”
4 - Go to Alexa.com. Do a search on your subject, in this example, horticulture. It provides the exact same results as Google because it’s powered by Google. So why bother, right? Wrong. Because Alexa *does* provide value added information.
When you do the search, you don’t want to click the link that takes you to the listed site. Instead you want to follow the link that says “Site info.” When you do this, you’ll find a section called: “People who visit this page also visit.” This can be very valuable because it potentially shows *what the marketplace is interested in.* This can enable you to tailor your information product to what people want.
These are just some of the easy ways to branch out your explorations and find gold to weave into golden braids.
Golden searching… 
Posted in Writing and Speaking | No Comments »
