By Basant Soni and Dhansay Sori
On the occasion of Independence Day the UD fellows of Gariyaband District organised an exhibition of uncultivated food for the school students and teachers of Kuladighat Primary School. A variety of wild tubers that the Kamar have traditionally consumed were on display and they included – Karu kanda, Bechandi kanda, Bansi gopal kand, Pith kand and a variety of other tubers of roots found in the forests of the area.
A discussion with the students and teachers was facilitated on the variety of tubers and roots that have been historically used for food and medicinal purposes by the Kamars. Between 40 and 50 children were present along with their teachers and they identified a number of the tubers and they were provided information about the importance and benefits of the different tubers by village elders who also enthusiastically participated in the exhibition. The teachers lauded the initiative and shared that while they knew the names of the tubers they got to see a lot of them for the first time and learn about their uses and benefits. The teachers encouraged the students to preserve this traditional knowledge of uncultivated food and use it in their daily lives.
