ANISHA FRANCIS
PERNEM: The story of healer-lawyer Prakash Govekar dates back to 60 years ago, to when he would, as a little boy, traipse around the forested hills and wild countryside of Pernem taluka with his grandmother Saurubai. Prakash would happily carry her baskets and bags uphill, watching closely as she combed through the shrubbery looking for herbs and roots that go into the family’s closely guarded cure for jaundice.
Saurubai Govekar was a healer and known for her natural medicines for various communicable as well as lifestyle diseases. “I grew up watching my grandma treat everything from chicken pox and measles to people with tapeworms, those suffering from migraines, toothaches and earaches, with her Ayurvedic medicines,” recalls Prakash. The jaundice cure, however, is the one the family is most known for, and the recipe, which contains a local plant as its main ingredient, along with fresh cow’s milk and other herbs, is a closely guarded secret. Every week, it draws hundreds from across Goa, as well as Maharashtra and Karnataka, to the Govekars’ peaceful home behind the chapel in Chopdem.
Harking back to his initiation into the family’s healing tradition, Prakash says he would also accompany his grandma to the Mapusa market every week and other smaller village markets to source leaves, roots, stems and other rare ingredients that are foraged and brought down by
people who live in various hilly parts of Goa, even as far as Canacona.
“You name a local plant or medicinal herb, and my grandmother could source it in the hills of Pernem. I would faithfully follow her with the baskets in tow and watch her lovingly hunt for and track down her ingredients,” he says, proudly. Prakash is also a lawyer, and he says it was from Saurubai that he also learnt the art of making peace.
“My grandma was a peacemaker; people would come to her to solve disputes and for life-changing advice. They fondly called her dotor,” says Prakash. “In those days, when doctors were rare and many villages did not have road access – people still took a canoe, they came from all over. Even we took a ferry or canoe across the Chapora to get to Mapusa,” he
recalls. “Grandma never charged her patients; she left it up to them to pay whatever they could. Some people gave 25 paisa and some, one rupee, and
it was all out of love and affection,” he says.
When Saurubai passed away, Prakash’s mother Parvathy took over, and continued dispensing the jaundice cure and some other medicines her mother had taught her about.
But it was Prakash who knew all his grandma’s secrets, as he had worked closely with her from a very young age. “Those were my earliest memories, in fact,” he says, his keen interest evident. After his mother passed, Prakash took on the mantle of healer alongside his wife, Tina.
The family also treats a variety of other ailments, including urinary tract infections and discharge in women using another secret root-based remedy. Prakash and Tina’s dedication to their patients extends beyond just dispensing medicine—they provide comfort and counsel to those who are scared or stressed. “We speak to them with love and tell them to take the medicine and have faith in God,” says Tina. “Many come to us mentally disturbed, worried about their health. We spend time with them and reassure them, and it makes a world of difference.”
During the Covid-19
pandemic, their practice became even more critical, as many other doctors’ clinics were closed. The Panchayat and the local biodiversity management committee have recognized the Govekars for their tireless efforts in treating patients during these challenging times.
Despite their immense workload—patients often begin lining up at 5 am—Prakash and Tina ensure that everyone receives the attention and medication they need. They are now assisted by their older son Saheel and daughter-in-law Suprana, as well as their younger son Saneel in preparing the medicines, due to the sheer workload. Their remedies, including the jaundice cure, have even been taken abroad in powdered form, proving that nature’s medicines transcend borders.
Nature’s pharmacy under siege
The rapid concretization of Goa’s hills and forests threatens the delicate ecosystem that provides the medicinal plants Prakash relies on to concoct his cures. "Construction is a curse," he says. "The micronutrients in the soil are being destroyed, and natural vegetation is being burnt and cleared out for development. If this continues, people will suffer. The herbs won’t grow, and with them, the cures will disappear."
For Prakash, nature is the ultimate laboratory, and every plant offers the potential to heal. "Nature’s pharmacy can save us, but if we continue down this path of destruction, we will suffer for the sins of a few," he warns.
"Nature offers the best medicines," Prakash says. "We must respect it and work towards preserving Goa’s natural wealth or we risk losing it all."