Jammu and Kashmir’s nomadic Bakarwals and Gujjars have sought the defence minister’s intervention for lifting of restrictions on their movement in the pastures falling in close proximity of the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) with Pakistan and other areas marked as “forbidden” by the Army and other security forces following the outbreak of insurgency in 1990.
The nomadic tribes based in Pirpanjal and Himalayan mountains of Jammu and Kashmir and beyond, who are mainly goatherds and shepherds, have written to defence minister A.K. Antony pleading that since the security situation in the region has seen a huge upturn in the recent years all the restricted pastures and dhoks located near the LoC, IB and in Ladakh areas should be restored for them.
The Scheduled Tribes have through Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (TRCF), a frontal organisation, sought revocation of all the official orders issued from time to time restricting nomads from migrating seasonally in the state. The letter written by it to the defence minister and signed by almost all Gujjar notables urges for “free movement of all migratory communities to the areas that actually belong to them for centuries,” TRCF secretary Javaid Rahi said.
Bakarwals lead a lonely and tough life in the high-altitude meadows of the Himalayas and the Pir-Panjal. Every year with the onset of summer, they take their livestock high into the mountains, above the tree-line to graze in the lush meadows and then move from one meadow to the other. Gujjars mainly work as partners and also spread to populated areas to work as labourers.
The letter says, “In view of firing on the Indo-Pak border and militancy, the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir had restricted the entry of Gujjars and Bakarwals in few dhoks and pastures located near the divide-line in districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu, Kathua, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipur, Kargil and Leh. All such orders need immediate revocation as the Gujjars and Bakarwals have suffered a great loss to their lifestyle, economy and tribal culture.”
It also asserts that after the November 2003 ceasefire between the facing troops on the LoC and IB with Pakistan, the tensions have reduced and “now this is the right time to allow tribal people to move freely in their traditional areas located in Ladakh and along the LoC and IB.”
Mr Rahi said that the foundation has also sent the list of dhoks, pasture and other areas declared “restricted” for nomads with the letter to the defence minister in the hope he would intervene at earliest as the affected people are preparing for the biannual move to such areas with their livestock.