Guwahati: President Droupadi Murmu honoured Arunachal Pradesh’s Yanung Jamoh Lego with the prestigious Padma Shri award during the esteemed civil investiture ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Lego was conferred Padma Shri in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field of herbal medicine and agriculture. A renowned herbalist of the frontier state, she has been distinguished for her life-saving treatments and her advocacy for traditional healing practices.
Born on July 9, 1963, in SikaTode village of East Siang district, Lego has been a beacon of hope for over 300,000 patients suffering from life-threatening illnesses such as various types of cancer, diabetes and hypertension among others.
Lego’s journey began under the guidance of her father, a respected folk healer, which led her to pursue a robust education in agriculture at the Assam Agricultural University. Post her education in 1988, she joined the Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Department and served until her retirement in 2023.
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With a professional start as an Agriculture Inspector, Lego’s true calling was in herbal medicine, which she practised intensively after a 15-year apprenticeship with her father. Her treatments, based on traditional knowledge and local herbs, have not only cured but also prevented many diseases, restoring faith in traditional medicine systems.
In 2009, Lego founded the Indigenous ‘Herbal Heritage,’ a pioneering organisation that promotes the cultivation and knowledge of medicinal plants.
Through her efforts, over 100,000 individuals have been educated on the benefits of herbal medicine, with the organisation planting approximately 5,000 medicinal plants annually to ensure sustainability.
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Her exceptional service has previously been recognised with several accolades, including the ‘Arunachal Pradesh State Award’ in 2019, the ‘SRISTI Samman Award’ in 2007, and the ‘Paramparika Vaidya Ratna’ award in 2013.
Lego’s influence in the field of herbal medicine continues to inspire countless others to explore and respect traditional healing practices. Lego’s dedication and results have not only positioned her as a healer but as a visionary in integrating traditional knowledge with modern applications for health.
The Padma Shri award acknowledges Lego’s decades of dedication and impact, underscoring the importance of traditional medicine in contemporary health discourse, and celebrating her significant contributions to the field.