Tribal rights to the fore

Tradition teachers: Kuttimatha (Credit: Joseph Antony)A MEMORANDUM of Understanding
(Mou) between the Tropical Botanical
Gardens and Research Institute (TBGRI)
and two private companies, the
Madras-based Velvette International
Pharma Products and Arya Vaidya
Pharmacy of Coimbatore, to be signed
on July 22, was stalled recently. Last
minute political maneouverings from
certain sections forced the state government to halt the projects. The mou was
an unique attempt to recognise the
Intellectual Property Rights (1PR) of the
tribals in Kerala.

The pacts included agreements for
transferring the mass production technology of a herbal health care kit consisting of 14 drugs including a drug
calledIJeevani'. But in a recent development, after ascertaining that the
Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research guidelines on technology
transfer had been adhered to by the
TBGRI, the chief minister of Kerala
unconditionally cleared the projects, on
October 22.

This will enable the Institute to con-
tinue its efforts to recognise the IPR of
the tribals, a long neglected issue. "It is
perhaps for the first time in the country
that the IPR of the Tribes are recognised", said P Pushpangadan, director,
TBGRI. The due share from the commercial exploitation of'Jeevani', produced
by Arya Vaidya Pharmacy based on the
rare plant Arogyappacha (Tricophus
zelyanicus), will be handed over to the
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
(SC & ST) Welfare Department, he
added. TBGRI scientists learned about the
medicinal properties of Arogyappacha
from the Kani tribe inhabiting the
southwestern part of the Western Ghats
in Kerala, way back in 1987.

'Jeevani' is a restorative, immunoenhancing, anti-stress and anti-fatigue
agent, useful during convalescence and
to reduce exhaustion, fatigue, weakness
and mental stress.

It is believed that the pact was stalled
in the eleventh hour by the state admin
istration following interference from the
Opposition leader, V S Achuth
nanthan, regarding reconsideration
of the terms of the agreement. He alleg
that the licence fee and royalty of t
herbal drugs were very low. Besid
allegations raised by some top officials
that the pact with the private compani
would cause exploitation of the tribals,
made the government backtrack.

This controversy highlights politic
A lobbying which exists even among sci
entists. For, it was revealed that anothe
section of scientists were trying to devel
it op a drug from Arogyappacha, bu
failed. Therefore, they evidently tried t
sabotage the unique project, feel TBGR:
scientists.

Kuttimathan Kani, 30, and Mallan
Kani, 42, from Chonnampara tribal set
tlement, had originally revealed t
secrets ofArogyappacha to the scienti
in 1987. Owing to the dismal record oi
the sc & ST Welfare Departmen
through which the money from t
commercial exploitation of 'Jeeva
would reach the tribals, many triba
fear that the effort may just end up as
neglected file languishing in government offices.

The TBGRI- envisages a project for
creased cultivation of Arogyappacha
the Kanis in the Agastya Valley. Now,
"Spbout 50 tribal families are engaged in
AroVappacha cultivation. The new pro
. targets about 1,000 families working
4W W_
under the scheme, and plans to increase
wi.ihe cultivation area from 20.25 ha to
725 ha in tribal holdings.