Traditional medicine practitioners better termed as Jadibutiwalas wandering across the country are constantly failing into a zone of extinction. Despite the ‘zero-side effects’ claims about their medicines these Jadibutiwalas are finding hard to attract enough patients in the days of modern science.
“We pluck jadibutis or Ayuurvadic medicines from deep forests of Haridwar, Kedarnath and Rishikesh which are 100 per cent effective on Sinus, infertility, arthritis, gas or any kind of pain. Unfortunately, people are less interested in our medicines these days,” Dharamvir Chhote Singh Chitodiya, a Jadibutiwala of Maharashtra’s Bhusaval who has set up his tent near Governor House said on Sunday.
He further added, “Since our grandparents and then parents have continued this profession, we are following the tradition. Else, it is difficult to earn at least `500 in a day with this business.”
To find a prospective customer, these Jadibutiwalas stay with their families in any city for around two months during rainy or winter season near a police station.
“We are usually connected with gypsies indulged in theft or robbery. To ensure our identity, we first submit our documents to a police station in the city where we try to sell medicines to the patients by setting up tents. Also, we settle our families and children near this specific police station for their safety while we are busy in our tent set up in some other location of the city,” Chitodiya added.
Similarly Fateh Singh, another Jadibutiwala from Nagpur who has set up a tent near HEC gate said, “Our children are forced to remain uneducated since they too have to learn this tradition.”
Rajkumar, a Jadibutiwala from Maharashtra said, “We seem to fail because our medicines have delayed effect compared to that of antibiotics. But, the effect remains forever.”
According to sources, the existence of this cadre of specialists is still a blessing for residents of Bangalore and Kerala. “Establishing a name in cities like Ranchi, Kolkata and Delhi is becoming challenging,” said Nanak Singh, an aged Jadibutiwala near Birsa Chowk.
To have a permanent source of income, many of these traditional practitioners are now turning towards farming or other means of livelihood. “Earlier our parents used to sell the Jadibutis round the year. We cannot do the same. So, we involve our family in agriculture works in our village and continue with our family profession only in the month of monsoon or winter,” Rajkumar added.