By Ashok B Sharma

Meghalaya Mission for Indigenous Knowledge has found a
6000-year-old traditional species of rice in the Garo hills of the state.
This biological diversity is now an important genetic store for rice
worldwide. Mira Nair's film - Still, the Children are Here - told
exclusively through the voices of the Garos, follows two extended families
in the village Sandolpara, as they grapple with survival and change in this
native community. Elders say they are poorer today. "Even though we reap the
same grain as the grandmothers, we are poorer," they say.

In Sandolpara, 6,000-year-old species of rice are still grown. Women are the
caretakers of these varieties of rice. They select the right varieties for
cultivation and handle processing and storage of rice. Men help in
cultivation and manage the fields. "These hardy strains of rice must be
protected and should not be contaminated by any hybrids or genetically
modified (GM) crops," the document paper of the Meghalaya Mission for
Indigenous Knowledge noted.

The draft document also pleaded that the government should provide subsidies
to farmers for growing these traditional varieties, so that the traditional
rice varieties are available to consumers at cheaper rates and can compete
with already-subsidised rice from other parts of the country.

The vice chancellor of the Shillong-based North-Eastern Hill University
(NEHU), Pramod Tandon said, "Our major objective is to conserve and conduct
research in traditional knowledge and to improve the socio-economic
conditions of the people." He said that the important gene centre located in
the campus had not been given due consideration by the Union government,
which funds this university. The gene bank contains rich depositories of
traditional rice and citrus among other rare plants.

He mentioned water lily as a rare species now found only in Meghalaya.
Earlier, some species of water lily were found in Siberia, Russia, though
the climatic conditions in Meghalaya and Siberia vary to a large extent. "We
have taken up the difficult job of micro-propagation of the water lily in a
farmer's pond in Smit village," he said. The seeds of the water lily are
eaten by the local people.

Among other rare plants are Dancing Girl, Holly Tree and Mishmi Getta.
Dancing Girl varieties are under the women's empowerment scheme of the
department of biotechnology (DBT). "Unplanned urbanisation, mining and
quarrying have destroyed the biodiversity and ecology of the region, alleged
Tandon. He disclosed that the Mishmi Getta was illegally exported to China
for its medicinal value and how the Italians once indulged in biopiracy of
the Texas Bacata, the extracts of which are used to cure breast cancer. The
Khasiana variety of the Picher plant is grown in nitrogen deficient land in
the state. Out of 13,000 orchid varieties, 560 alone are found in
north-eastern India.

The Guwahati-based North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd has
documented the methods of propagation and the use of several aromatic and
medicinal plants like Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth), Citronella
(Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt), Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus Steud
Wats), Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides Linn), Sugandhmantri (Homalo,ena
aromatica Schott), Agar (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb), Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia
serpentine Benth ex Kur), Pipali (Piper longum Linn), Amlakhi (Emblica
officinalis Gaertn), Hilikha (Terminalia chebula Retz), Bhomora (terminalia
belerica), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna Wight and Arn). Among other crops of
economic importance are Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni-Nemsi, Vanilla planifolia
Andrews and Brahmi or Bacopa monnieri (L) Wetts.
www.checkbiotech.org