The serene and picturesque state of Jammu and Kashmir is an abode to different tribal communities and the forest dwelling community is one of them. These forest dwellers include the Gujjars and Bakarwals who are the third largest ethnic group in Jammu and Kashmir. These two pastoral communities spend their entire life migrating from one place to another in the valley. During summer they migrate to upper reaches of Kashmir in quest of greener and better pastures for their flock of sheep, horses, and goats. While in winter, these herder families descend down to lower areas of the valley in order to protect them from the harsh winter of Kashmir.
The Gujjars represent the pastoral nomads of Central Asia and the Bakarwals is also believed to belong to the same ethnic stock as the Gujjars. The word 'Bakarwal' is derived from "bakra" which means goat, and wal meaning "one who takes care of". Due to the similarity between these two nomadic groups, inter-marriages also take place among them. Religiously they include Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs and are completely dependent on the animals they take care of.
The Sheep, horses, and goats are their sole source of income for them. The women weave shawls out of the wool extracted from sheep while the men earn money by selling dairy products out of Goats. With the approach of summer, in April or May, these tribes start heading towards mountainous regions of Kashmir from the planes of the Jammu region.
They build huts to live everywhere they go. These huts contain only one basic room to meet the necessity. Every hut contains a fireplace though so that the women can prepare their meals. These two tribes eat wheat, corn or any grain that grows on land and they are avid tea lovers. They use the language “Gujri” for communication which is totally different than other languages that exist in Jammu and Kashmir. They are also fond of poetry and music. Amidst of their difficult journey, they often gather to sing and dance. The Gujjars and Bakarwals perform Benthe folk dance which is exclusive to these two communities. A Gujri programme of one hour is broadcast from Srinagar and Jammu Radio Stations. The Cultural Academy of Gujjars every year publish pieces of literature about their history and culture. Apart from this, weddings in Gujjars and Bakarwals are unique in every aspect including season, costumes, food, and rituals.
Kalhana’s Rajtarangini, a famous Kashmiri literature, reveals that the Gujjars used to rule over the state and surrounding areas of Kashmir valley. Today, these two ethnic groups are the most underdeveloped communities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The main problem is the literacy rate of these groups which is the lowest in the state. It is because of the whole family including children, migrates from one place to another for their living.
Although the Government and army have set up a number of nomadic schools which are seasonal, still the literacy rate is quite low. The state Government has also build Gujjar and Bakerwal Hostels in each District Headquarters where students are also provided with amenities like books, foods, and stipends. On April 19, 1991, the Govt. of India declared the Gujjars & Bakarwals as Scheduled Tribe. Although the central Government made efforts for the development of Gujjar and Bakerwal community of Jammu And Kashmir State but it had been halted and corrupted by the politics of Jammu & Kashmir for which the Gujjars and Bakarwals are lagging behind politically, socially, and economically.
However, after some prominent Gujjars and Bakarwals protested for their rights, the situation is improving. Today, there are projects ongoing to educate the nomadic children. Also, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has announced to provide separate land for the nomads so that during the period of migration, the children along with their mothers can stay at home while the men can go to upper reaches to feed their animals. In this way, the children of the nomads shall not be deprived of education. The Government is also focusing on the infrastructure of the roads through which the nomads migrate to upper reaches, to make their journey easy and comfy.
The Sheep, horses, and goats are their sole source of income for them. The women weave shawls out of the wool extracted from sheep while the men earn money by selling dairy products out of Goats. With the approach of summer, in April or May, these tribes start heading towards mountainous regions of Kashmir from the planes of the Jammu region.
They build huts to live everywhere they go. These huts contain only one basic room to meet the necessity. Every hut contains a fireplace though so that the women can prepare their meals. These two tribes eat wheat, corn or any grain that grows on land and they are avid tea lovers. They use the language “Gujri” for communication which is totally different than other languages that exist in Jammu and Kashmir. They are also fond of poetry and music. Amidst of their difficult journey, they often gather to sing and dance. The Gujjars and Bakarwals perform Benthe folk dance which is exclusive to these two communities. A Gujri programme of one hour is broadcast from Srinagar and Jammu Radio Stations. The Cultural Academy of Gujjars every year publish pieces of literature about their history and culture. Apart from this, weddings in Gujjars and Bakarwals are unique in every aspect including season, costumes, food, and rituals.
Kalhana’s Rajtarangini, a famous Kashmiri literature, reveals that the Gujjars used to rule over the state and surrounding areas of Kashmir valley. Today, these two ethnic groups are the most underdeveloped communities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The main problem is the literacy rate of these groups which is the lowest in the state. It is because of the whole family including children, migrates from one place to another for their living.
Although the Government and army have set up a number of nomadic schools which are seasonal, still the literacy rate is quite low. The state Government has also build Gujjar and Bakerwal Hostels in each District Headquarters where students are also provided with amenities like books, foods, and stipends. On April 19, 1991, the Govt. of India declared the Gujjars & Bakarwals as Scheduled Tribe. Although the central Government made efforts for the development of Gujjar and Bakerwal community of Jammu And Kashmir State but it had been halted and corrupted by the politics of Jammu & Kashmir for which the Gujjars and Bakarwals are lagging behind politically, socially, and economically.
However, after some prominent Gujjars and Bakarwals protested for their rights, the situation is improving. Today, there are projects ongoing to educate the nomadic children. Also, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has announced to provide separate land for the nomads so that during the period of migration, the children along with their mothers can stay at home while the men can go to upper reaches to feed their animals. In this way, the children of the nomads shall not be deprived of education. The Government is also focusing on the infrastructure of the roads through which the nomads migrate to upper reaches, to make their journey easy and comfy.
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