Food, Health & Nutrition

Yes, earlier, we used to eat various kinds of wild fruits and food from the forests. But now, nothing like that remains. The government some.

— Rakesh kumar Kumar

Our ancestors used to eat sunusunia greens, but these greens have become extinct today.

— upendra sunani

Earlier, a lot of edible items were found in the forests that could be eaten and added to midday meals, but now, due to damage to the forests, many things have become extinct.

— Kekti Tekam · Dindori, Madhya Pradesh

Mona Pramoda, in the past, we had traditional food without fertilizer, and people lived for many years by eating that food. But now, by eating food with fertilizer, many types of diseases are staying in our bodies.

— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

In our region, 'Gati Kandha' is available/common. People of the past used to eat all such things, and because of that, their bodies remained healthy. Nowadays, people are consuming foods that contain fertilizers (or are chemically treated), which is causing many types of diseases to arise.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

In our ST community, everything has changed for the people of this district. Before, we used to bring tamarind, mahua, and all kinds of forest products to eat and drink.

— Puspanjali Nag

In the past, we used to eat mahua, and also made four laddus by frying mahua. We would also cook rice with gulgi and eat it. Now, if Anganwadi...

— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha

Our ancestors used to cultivate without fertilizer, and that was delicious and healthy. But now, that taste is not available.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

In the olden days, our parents and we used to gather and eat a lot of Barada Saga (a type of leafy green) from the forest. But now, due to deforestation, we no longer find Barada Saga. We hope to eat Barada Saga again.

— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

The food we used to eat before was good for our body. But the food we eat now, chemical food, is bad for our body.

— Amita Mohanty

My name is Dhiren Badhai from Kiyariya village and Bamani Gaon Panchayat, Dharibari block. Our ancestors used to eat roots, leafy greens, fruits, and tubers from the forest, living a nutritious life, but now all of that has decreased.

— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha

In ancient times, items like plain water, cooked food, liquor, Kakara, Arisa, Bagara Pitha, Ukahara, jackfruit, and root vegetables were available in the market. Now, these are not found anymore.

— Anirudha Marai

In ancient times, people used to boil and eat Mahua, but it is not seen much nowadays. If people still boil and eat it, their bodies will remain healthy.

— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha

Nowadays, forests are being cleared. We used to get food from the forest, but now we are not getting it. Instead, we are consuming food grown with chemical fertilizers.

— jitendra khila · kudumulugumma, Malkangiri, Odisha

We used to eat Mahua before, all kinds of Mahua, Rama Mahua. Because we ate all that, our body used to stay well. If you eat that, you too will stay well again.

— Laxmi Bagh · Sundargarh, Odisha

We used to eat greens from the forest, including Madhuranga greens, Nautia greens, Marisa greens, and all those other types of greens.

— Sanjukta Arukh · Tamando, Khordha, Odisha

Today, resources are wasted just on eating. If good paddy and everything like corn were abundant before and we kept eating, that time cannot be recaptured today.

— Babulal Ayam · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Our ancestors used to consume grains like Kuri, Kudra, Humli, and other similar produce. Those grains are now gone. If the government conducts a survey/preservation effort for them, it would be very beneficial for our people in the future, meaning there would be no illnesses or similar problems.

— Mohan AHARI · Udaipur, Rajasthan

People of the past used to cultivate saawa, kodo, menjhari, bajra, and maize, and their bodies were strong. But today, by eating grains grown with fertilizer...

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

In earlier times, medicinal fruits were found in the forest, but now those things are becoming extinct day by day.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Earlier, we used to eat mahua from the sarai in the jungle and sustain our lives. No fertilizer was used at all. Our bodies also remained healthy. Everyone used to be strong and robust, and lived for a long time.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

My name is Jogeshwar Nayak. In our area, Ghuruji farming was common, and people used to eat it. Now that farming has completely disappeared, and its seeds are not even found anymore.

— upendra sunani

People are no longer eating Kodo, Gulji, Mandia, Gongei, Pithalu, Kandha, Chhuali Kandha, and other such items.

— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha

Yes, damage has definitely occurred. Previously, people used to obtain two traditional food items by cutting trees from the forest. Now, these are not available. Furthermore, there has been extensive damage to medicinal plants, and those are also not available.

— gobardhan pangi

In the past, various types of forest products, fruits, and roots were available, but now it requires effort.

— Padmalochan Majhi · Ratachua, Rayagada, Odisha

Earlier, everything used to be found in the jungle, but now it's not. For example, banana greens, chakora greens... no, everything is gone now.

— Rupesh Maravi

The mahul (flower/fruit) found in the forest, in the old days they used to make ladoos from it, fry them, and eat them. That has now disappeared, it is not found, and it is greatly missed.

— Priti Majhi

Currently, eating food cultivated with chemical substances is harming our health, but our ancestors used to cultivate according to nature using organic methods and were free from diseases.

— Padmalochan Majhi · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

People of earlier times used to do this kind of farming for subsistence, and without water, without chemical fertilizers, and by eating that grain, there was also strength in the body. But nowadays, this urea and DAP fertilizer is causing a lot of harm.

— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Here, our ancestors used to cultivate sava, medon, mijhari, and kodo, whose rice and bread were eaten. Today, they are slowly disappearing. Therefore, we should preserve them so that they remain a part of our lives forever. These are very nutritious and powerful food items.

— Ram Kumari

Food is what is most essential for human survival. But it is observed that today's food is entirely chemical-laden, meaning chemical-rich. While it fills the stomach and tastes good, it fails to meet the body's nutritional requirements. In contrast, the food from earlier times was highly nutritious and disease-resistant.

— KARUKAR MURMU · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

In the tribal area, in earlier times, there were many herbs and their culture. But today, due to deforestation, many birds could not even disperse, and traditional food practices could also not be preserved, leading to their extinction.

— Mohan AHARI · Sarera, Udaipur, Rajasthan

In our house, food used to be cooked in clay pots and there were no diseases of any kind. But in today's era, food is cooked in steel pots and illnesses have also increased a lot.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

In ancient times, due to rain, people used to grow and eat their own vegetables! Now, due to lack of rain, people are buying and eating vegetables.

— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha