Indian Wildlife Club Forum

The Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centrewas established in 1991 by Botanist Sheikh Gulzaar , head , who is from an journalism background.  The institution is based in Aziz Abad village, Pampore, Jammu and Kashmir. The head of the said institution is Sheikh Gulzaar, who has done serve research in the line of medicinal plants for which he travelled from Kashmir Himalayan mountain tops as well as has crossedglaciers also and has struggled to such an extent that he has created ahistory. The Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre  is continuously researching since  18 years and is in research of medicinalplants and is interested to meet the expectations and needs of the nation. Not only the said The Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre is working in the country but throughout the world its research is going on. Mr.Sheikh Gulzaar has spent most of his life on Himalayan mountains, footsteps and river banks while he was travelling for the project.

The Head of the the Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre Sheikh Gulzaar is continuously in research of medicinal ,fruit plants and wild flowers  and havealso cultivated some products in his own plant introduction center as such hasdone a great job which was not even in our mind ever. Some  medicinal/fruit  plants  are Ginkgo biloba ,  Lycium barbarum ,Lavetra cashmerina , Geranium wallichiana , Cichorium intybus , Crocus sativus ,Hyoscyamusniger , Hippophae rhamnoides Inula racemosa, Iris cashmerina , Dioscorea deltodia, Salvia hians , Salvia officinalis, Salvia  moorcroftiana, Salvia sclarea , Aquilegia pubiflora, Paeonia emodi,Berberis lyceum , Epimedium elatum,  Podophyllum hexandrum , Viola odorata ,Hypericum perforatum , Peganum harmala , Aesculus indica, Ajuja  bracteosa , Sambucus wightiana, Taxus baccata, Verbascum Thapsus, Valeriana officinalis, Atropa belladonna, Atropa  acuminate, Artemisia absinthium,Achillea millefolium, Allium victoralis, Colchicum luteum,Phytolacca acinosa,Saussurea  costus, Corylus avellanaetc.

The said medicinal plants  are having a good demand not only in the country but abroad also. Buy cultivating such plants the institution  has till date provided such plants to about 34 thousand research institutions,individuals  & progressive farmers   and in this way he has helped the researchers but have provided such plants to them time to time with the result the said institution  has earned a good fame in the country as well as have given training to so many unemployed and educated youth of the country hence in this way they are able to earn their livelihood.

The institution has received about  7880 applications since 1994 for giving fulldes criptions regarding such plants as well as identity ,birth, botanical information and family structure of such plants and its benefits as well as they have been given letter of originty, Phytosanitary information & letter of authenticity , with the result such fellows have been absolutely helped in carrying  over their research forward.The real thing is to know the full description and identity of such plants which has been provided by the said. Sheikh Gulzaar , otherwise  the researchers would have not been in know of all the benefits of such plants.

As the Kashmir valey is one of the cold region of Himalaya and the season of valley is not trustworthy here remains, cold temperature, snowfall fast winds etc., with the result the public are suffering and every year huge losses  are being faced by us as well as research jobis also being  affected, because due to non-availability of high-tech green houses, so many valuable plants dies due to extensive heat or cold and we requested so many times to Government  to provideus  proper place near high altitude sothat we may be  able to cultivate other countries medicinal , wild flowers and fruit plants here also . I have also secured hundreds of seeds from Europe, Middle East and Africa and have planted them in different areas and has obtained seeds from them as well as medicines,but it is difficult as the said seeds are only being sowing in such areas where the atmosphere will be neat and clean, by this way we are not only getting help in research job but we are making it possible to cultivate such plants which has not been actually given any attention. In this research I am facing such difficulties  but also I am bearing 3-5 thousands expenses per plant/tree. E.g. I am planting a tree  near the mountains of  South Kashmir then after 2-6 months I have to take the same tree seedling. to high altitude and have to  plant in such plants a place where there will be no rush of general public or animals just keep it as a secret. When such plants become ready  then we are obtaining seeds from them and the selling them India &abroad.

Till date government of Jammu and Kashmir as has not helped us in any way, we have got on lab or other high-tech facilities  so that our job will become easy and we are not using any chemicals, fertilizer etc. for such medicinal plants nor other technology but we are dependent upon organics fertilizers  i.e. biomass, peat, manure plant leaves, tree barks but to obtain such items we have to work hard as such the public is not hesitating to purchase our seeds and our target remains always upon such medicinal plants which is having demand in the market for ever.

The basic education I have obtained fromKashmir and for higher education I went to Mumbai, Nagpur, Bangalore and have done M.Sc (Botany) and Diploma in cinema (Maharashtra), Computer Sciience and Environment Technology (Srinagar) and Mass communication/Journalism from(Delhi).

My main target is practical and Research & Development and I am feeling too much due to adverse conditions of the Himalayan state of Kashmir as I havenot  been given any help by the Govermnetof Jammu and Kashmir. As my whole job is land or  agriculture that even the same needs at high altitude. To invest for upliftment of J&K I have  to make my focus on Kashmir Himalaya for cultivating such plants to obtain medicines which can be used for Cancer disease also and second main focus will be Food Technology as our country is presently facing heavy danger of Cancer and shortage of food and I will do my struggle till last breath.

At present my main project is`` High Altitude Medicinal “ where I am working and have to collect the data and if at this time the Government will cooperate and help me than I will meet the ends of success. We must note itthat in future we will have clothes, homes but the food and medicine s will beshort as such shortage has to fulfill. We are living under the open sky that is right but living without food and medicine is IMPOSSIABLE.