Our stock brokers can learn a few things about rising and falling prices from the Rabha tribe. Sheetin Rabha is a dynamic and wise women. Her group of 24 members decided to invest and took Rs 600

About 80 tropical cyclones (with wind speeds equal to or greater than 35 knots) form in the world’s waters every year. Of these about 6.5% develop in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. Since the frequency of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal is about 5 to 6 times the frequency of those in the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal's share comes out to be about 5.5%. The tropical cyclones forming in the Bay of Bengal hit the coast of India (particularly the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal) every year, causing heavy loss of life and property.

Once the trap is set, the tribal people can only go deeper into the forest to repay their loans and fill the coffers of agents, traders and forest officials

Hand-in-glove with the forest department, traders of medicinal plants and herbs make hay

People who have no idea about forests step in to further trade, while the indigenous herb gatherers get exploited further

A severe shortage of medicinal plants and herbs threatens

There is no land to cultivate medicinal plants, neither are there any legal provisions, nor market access. At present, the risks involved are too high for small scale farmers to opt for cultivation of medicinal plants and herbs