Sigar military station honours Padma Shri awardee Yanung Jamoh Lego for reviving herbal healing traditions

In a ceremony held at Sigar Military Station, the Indian Army paid tribute to Padma Shri Yanung Jamoh Lego, celebrating her remarkable contribution to traditional herbal medicine and community health. The event was a heartfelt acknowledgment of her decades-long dedication to reviving and preserving India’s ancient healing practices.

Born on July 9, 1963, in the remote village of Sika Tode under Sille-Oyan Circle in East Siang district, Lego’s journey into herbal healing was deeply influenced by her father, a revered folk healer. She immersed herself in learning indigenous medicinal knowledge for over 15 years before formally beginning her practice in 1995. Since then, she has provided free or low-cost treatment to more than 10,000 patients suffering from serious ailments including cancer, diabetes, and epilepsy — often offering relief when modern medicine failed.

In 2009, she established the Indigenous Herbal Heritage, a grassroots initiative aimed at preserving traditional healing systems. The organization has educated over 1 lakh individuals and planted 5,000 medicinal plants across Arunachal Pradesh, ensuring sustainable transmission of herbal wisdom to future generations.

Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the SRISTI Samman (2007), Paramparika Vaidya Ratna (2013), and the Arunachal State Award (2019). The Government of India recognised her relentless service to public health with the Padma Shri, one of the nation’s highest civilian honours.

During her felicitation at Sigar, Lego shared insights into holistic living, Ayurvedic kitchen remedies, and disease prevention. Her interaction deeply inspired the troops and underscored the significance of integrating traditional wisdom into modern lifestyles.

She also expressed her gratitude in an interaction with the media:

“I am happy that my contributions in the field of herbal medicine are being appreciated. Patients come to me from across India and even from abroad. I continue to devote myself to their healing and will also train the young generation to carry forward our traditional practices.”

Lego’s legacy has even drawn national attention, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting her contributions during his popular radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’, acknowledging her role in preserving and advancing India’s indigenous medical heritage.