Van Gujjars

Why in news?

• Hearing a bunch of PILs on the rehabilitation of displaced Van Gujjars, the Uttarakhand high court recently expressed displeasure over the state government's “inaction” in this regard.

About Van Gujjars:

• Van Gujjars are the forest-dwelling nomadic community inhabiting the foothills of Himalayan States such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
• Usually, they migrate to the bugyals (grasslands) located in the upper Himalayas with their buffaloes and return only at the end of monsoons to their makeshift huts, deras, in the foothills.
• They traditionally practice buffalo husbandry; a family owns up to 25 heads of buffaloes. They rely on buffaloes for milk, which gets them a good price in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh markets.

Recent controversy:

• The Van Gujjars pursue seasonal migration from the Terai-Bhabar and Siwalik region of Uttarakhand to the higher bugyals in the Western Himalayas in summer and vice versa in winter.
• This phenomenon of transhumance pursued by the community is among the few climate-adaptive and resilience strategies that ensures their pastoral livelihood remains viable and sustainable.
• The Van Gujjars possess legitimate permits across their summer (Govind Pashu Vihar National Park) and winter homesteads. However, they are not permitted by authorities to enter the Park.
• However the Uttarakhand High Court upholds the right of Van Gujjars to migrate to their summer homesteads in the bugyals (Himalayan alpine meadows) located within the Govind Pashu Vihar National Park.
• The court relied on Article 21 of the constitution.

Rights of Pastoralists under Forests Rights Act 2006:

• It has ensured that even pastoralists possess rights to access grazing pastures in lieu of the Community Forest Resource right they are eligible for.
• Section 2 (a) of the Act prescribes for the rights of pastoral communities on customary common forest land within the traditional or customary boundaries of a village.
• It also prescribes the seasonal use of a landscape in the case of pastoral communities, including in unclassed forests, reserve forests, un-demarcated forests, deemed forests, protected forests, sanctuaries, and national parks.

Add ons:

• Govind Pashu Vihar National Park is located in the state of Uttarakhand. The park lies in the higher reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

With reference to ‘Van Gujjars’, consider the following statements:

1. They are the forest-dwelling nomadic community

2. They inhabits in the foothills of the Himalayan States

2. They traditionally practice buffalo husbandry

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer