Kashmir’s nomadic tribes of Gujjar and Bakarwal: Finding identity among the unidentified

For centuries tribes have grazed their livestock on the lush pastures of Jammu and Kashmir. Now their religion and way of life are under attack, writes Zafar Dar

A nomadic pastoralist family near Tarsar Lake. This area is of very great significance for them as it is known for its lush-green meadows (Zafar Dar)

Mohammad Yousuf Khattana – a septuagenarian from Lidroo village in south Kashmir’s picturesque tourist-spot of Pahalgam – gazes over his demolished huts from a tent.

Khattana belongs to Jammu and Kashmir’s tribal community of Gujjar and Bakarwal. In November 2020, a calamity hit this community after the state administration transferred 30,000 acres of land to the Industries and Commerce department for investment. An anti-encroachment drive led by the state’s Forest Department demolished the area’s makeshift huts, made of mud and wooden logs. These huts, belonging to Khattana and several others, were used to brave the winter’s sub-zero temperatures.

Recalling the painful events, Khattana says: “They were around 100 to 150 men, mainly from Pahalgam Development Authority and Wildlife Department, accompanied by police and other officials from the Revenue Department. Without any prior notice, we were told to vacate the huts, which were then razed to the ground.