‘Missing Villages’: J&K’s ‘Transhumant’ People are Almost a Nation on the Move

The world faces myriad global challenges in the 21st century ranging from climate change, deforestation and environmental pollution to economic growth, inclusive development, gender equality, health and so on. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and international agreements set the agenda for policies and planning processes at the local and national levels. Meanwhile, the “Global South” countries have their own set of concerns and limitations.But on all such pragmatic and scientific scales, there are shadow areas that are often left out of the public policy framework. A recent survey of nomadic tribal populations has unexpectedly revealed many challenges on this front.Jammu & Kashmir has a unique blend of diverse climate conditions, cultures, languages, economic practices and other identities. The tribal population in itself is a classic example of heterogeneity. In June 2021, the Tribal Affairs Department initiated the first survey of the transhumant tribal population. It was aimed at welfare planning in the wake of the long-felt need for focused development. The three-month-long survey was conducted by more than 10,000 officials, who were helped by locals across all districts. The incredibly rich data is a silver-lining. The survey was the first such exercise and it involved traversing difficult terrains to reach the highland pastures.‘Worried & Confused’: 15 Lakh Bakarwals Begin Migrating to Kashmir“Transhumance”, a pastoral or nomadic life, is common among the tribal communities of Jammu & Kashmir, mostly Gujjars and Bakkerwals, as also Gaddis in parts of Jammu. The tribal communities undertake biannual migration between valleys or villages and highland pastures, along with livestock. The centuries-old practice has not declined despite global and local advancements. In fact, if numbers are a clue, the practice has only strengthened. Deprivation on various fronts is certainly an enormous challenge for policymakers and development administrators.At nearly 6 lakh, the transhumant tribal population of Jammu & Kashmir is more than the total population of many countries such as the Maldives, Iceland, Malta, Suriname, Luxemburg, Brunei, Iceland, among others. To be precise, the transhumant population is more than the individual population of as many as 55 countries in the world.The nomadic population is believed to be around 25% to 30% of the total tribal population in Jammu & Kashmir. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs recently initiated planning for the Integrated Village Development Scheme (IVDS), which aims at ensuring holistic development of villages having an over-500 and more than 50% tribal population. Fieldwork shows that there are 367 such villages in Jammu & Kashmir, against the official figure of 302. However, the highland pastures inhabited by the tribal communities for six to eight months don’t qualify as a “village”, and hence, they can’t avail of welfare benefits.“Dhoks” or “Behaks” are the tribal habitations in highland pastures that are inhabited for more than half of the year. The survey revealed that there are 168 such “Dhoks” with a cumulative population of 1,16,207, now under consideration for the proposed tribal welfare scheme. This sub-group population is equal to or more than at least eight nations, including Kiribati, Tonga, Micronesia, Grenada and Aruba. There are hundreds of “Dhoks”, adding up to a population of nearly 5 lakh that is always on the move. These hitherto ‘missing villages’ will now find a place on the policy and developmental maps. Their equivalents in other countries, such as Hafod (Wales), Shielding (Scotland), Alps (Switzerland) and Butte (US), have remained in focus for centuries.Idyllic But Changing: The Lives of Gujjars and Bakarwals in J&KThe transhumant tribal population of Jammu & Kashmir is not less than a “nation on the move”, and the “missing villages” together offer an extraordinary opportunity to planners for inclusive development in these areas, which often miss the usual scales and indices. Transhumance is prevalent across many countries in the world. European areas such as the Balkans, Alps, Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland, Italy, Spain, etc., present multiple such examples; they are also found abundantly in Asian countries like Afghanistan, parts of Georgia and Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The practice is prevalent in many areas of America, Oceania and Australia as well. The western Himalayas in India is inhabited by a tribal population with a unique migratory practice, which is mostly vertical in nature. It involves movement to highland pastures from the beginning of summer till the onset of winter, and subsequent return to valleys, villages and other low-grazing lands in winter. Lateral migration is also noted in the Jammu plains during summer.Transhumant population in J&K undertakes four different migration patterns –Intra-district, where people migrate from villages in plains or mountain bases to highland pastures or alpine meadows;Inter-district migration involving movement from Jammu plains (districts Jammu, Samba, Kathua) to highlands in Udhampur, Chenab region and adjoining mountain ranges;Inter-province migration covers the maximum population, which includes movement from most of the districts in Jammu province to the Kashmir province;Less than one-tenth of transhumant population takes the inter-state/Union Territory route, reaching Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. The migration journey can range from two weeks to up to four to six weeks, involving halts at various transit points and a steady rise. In many cases, the groups of tribal families travel up to 600 km on foot, along with livestock.The history of transhumance may find basis in scientific concepts of regeneration and carrying capacity of pastures, apart from climatic conditions required for livestock husbandry. However, the arduous process of migration calls for specialised planning and taking a holistic view of the challenges involved.Access to essential services and welfare schemes is the only yardstick to measure the success of any planning or policy model. The education system made a beginning with migratory schools and seasonal centres, a model that received attention during the COVID-19 pandemic with the ‘community classes’ concept.In Pics: Bakarwals of J&K Struggle to Keep Tradition AliveBut sectors like women and child development, health and family welfare, animal healthcare, livelihood, access to potable drinking water, nutrition, renewable energy and transit facilities have not reached transhumant populations yet, barring a few areas. The transhumant tribal communities are mostly dependent on natural resources and milk and milk products.The survey of transhumant tribal communities is now at the analysis and publication stage, while the government has rolled out a few immediate interventions, including the establishment of transit accommodations on major migratory routes, dedicated tribal health plans and mobile healthcare units and staff, livelihood units and mini sheep farms and dairy units, mobile veterinary healthcare units, skill development for youth, efforts for the extension of central schemes, and strengthening educational infrastructure.In Photos: Bakarwals Left in Lurch After Lockdown Delays MigrationHowever, the challenge is enormous. The “whole-of-the-government” approach is the only way to achieve welfare and inclusive growth for transhumant tribal communities.(The author is an IAS officer of AGMUT Cadre, presently Secretary to Government, Tribal Affairs Department, Jammu & Kashmir. This is an opinion article and the views expressed are the author's own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)

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‘Missing Villages’: J&K’s ‘Transhumant’ People Are Almost a Nation on the Move

At nearly 6 lakh, the transhumant tribal population of J&K is more than the population of many small countries.

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Topics: Jammu & Kashmir