Research papers about Gaddi tribals of Himachal published in UK journal
Lalit Mohan
Dharamsala, October 19
An academic journal of the UK has published 11 research papers on Gaddi tribals of Himachal. Stephen Christopher, an anthropologist at the University of Copenhagen, who was part of a team of researchers and published articles about Gaddis, while talking to The Tribune, said the journal was dedicated to Gaddis of Himachal and was published on September 5, 2023.
Issues covered
- How Gaddis vote in lower Chamba?
- How Gaddis in high-altitude settlements in Chamba are impacted by climate change?
- How Sippis have unique ritual roles during Manimahesh pilgrimage?
- How Gaddis were impacted by emergency?
He said the journal emerged from a workshop that took place at the SOAS University of London in July 2022. It was the first time that scholars from around the world met to discuss their long-standing research with the Gaddi community in Himachal Pradesh. The journal is called HIMALAYA and the special issue is titled “Gaddi Politics and Identity in the Western Himalaya”. It contains 11 articles pertaining to Gaddi history, folk music, spirituality, pilgrimage, politics and pastoralism.
He further said cover image is a black and white picture of Reeta Purhaan, a Kangra-based Gaddi folk singer, dressed in traditional attire and taking an informal selfie. Purhaan was highlighted because she was a research collaborator with the co-editor of the journal. She recently began PhD studies at the University of Central Punjab in Bathinda. Her performances of Gaddi folk songs have received acclaim on YouTube and racked up millions of views, Christopher said.
Christopher said the researchers tracked the colonial and post-colonial trends in numerous Gaddi communities in western Himachal Pradesh over the past 70 years. The main article in the journal focuses on the role of pastoralism, mobility and state categories of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe in shaping Gaddi tribal identity. “My work, in particular, focuses on the identity of Scheduled Caste groups in Kangra (Badi, Sippi, Dhogri, Hali and Rihare) who express Gaddi identity and are sometimes recognized as SC or ST,” he said.
Other issues covered in the journal include how Gaddis vote in lower Chamba, how Gaddis in high-altitude settlements in Chamba are impacted by climate change, how Sippis have unique ritual roles during Manimahesh pilgrimage and how caste and class impact spirituality.
The journal also considers historical questions about how Gaddis were impacted by Indira Gandhi’s Emergency and how Gaddis remember through oral histories their interactions with Muslims during the Partition.
