Himachal: Gujjars, Gaddis ‘losing’ rights to graze cattle in forests

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, July 17

The migratory Gujjar and Gaddi communities in Himachal are losing their rights to graze their cattle on forestland. At many places in the state, these communities are at loggerheads with the Forest Department over grazing rights.

Sources say that these communities face problems in taking their cattle to their traditional grazing pastures in the Dhauldhar wildlife sanctuary and the Pong Dam wildlife sanctuary in Kangra district, Salooni area of Chamba district and many areas of Lahaul and Spiti district. They are often at loggerheads with local forest officials over grazing their cattle in traditional pastures that now fall under wildlife sanctuaries or protected forests.

The sources say that the migratory communities are facing problems as at many places they have not been given rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. The Act gives tribal and other traditional communities rights over forest produce as grazing grounds that they have been using for centuries.

Akshay Jasrotia, state adviser of the Gumantu Pashupalk Mahasabha, a state-level organisation of migratory shepherds, says that this year, many Gujjar groups, who migrate to upper areas of Chamba district during the summer, had faced problems. They were stopped from entering forest areas in Chamba by officials. The migratory shepherds also face problems in the Dhauladhar and Pong Dam wildlife sanctuaries of Kangra district every year during migration. In Lahaul and Spiti district, the traditional Gaddi communities are facing problems as the Forest Department has given their pastures for eco-tourism activities. Now, people running tourism activities there are not allowing the Gaddis to enter the pastures.

Deputy Commissioner, of Kangra Hemraj Bairwa was not available for comments.