Challenges for pastoral communities in eastern India

India is home to a thriving community of pastoralists whose lifestyles represent one of the oldest and most sustainable systems. These herders practice mobility, moving their livestock from one climatic region to another every year in search of adequate food, suitable pastures, and grasslands. Livestock rearing yields essential resources such as milk, meat, leather, and wool, with the latter often being exported.

Remarkably, women pastoralists play a pivotal role in collecting sheep’s wool for producing warm clothing and blankets. Additionally, pastoralists contribute significantly to conserving biodiversity and maintaining domestic animal diversity.

Esteemed speakers, including representatives of pastoral communities, public authorities, and subject matter specialists, gathered to talk about and debate the numerous difficulties that pastoralists confront while also sharing their invaluable insights. These conversations were intended to outline a course of action for solutions that were suited to the particular requirements of these communities.

A pastoralist from Raniganj, West Bengal, named Shankar Bhagat discussed the difficulties he has had raising sheep and the changing demands of the younger generation. The same region's Abhimanyu Bhagat noted the lack of and inadequateness of government incentives as well as how financial difficulty pushed some pastoralists to give up their customary work. Sabar M. Debasi, a pastoralist from Rajasthan, also discussed the difficult situations he faced while tending sheep.

The community-focused aspects of pastoralism were highlighted by Ghanshyam, Director of SAMVAD in Jharkhand. According to him, “pasture is not a caste; it is a community with collective feelings and living patterns. These communities operated based on scientific principles that deserve understanding, recognition, and documentation.” The words of Ghanshyam serve as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage that pastoralists bring to society.

Sudhir Pal, an activist specialising in animal husbandry, took the stage to emphasise the significant challenge of pastoralists’ invisibility within policy-making circles. His words drew attention to the unfortunate consequences of this neglect: the lack of policy interventions that could uplift and support pastoral communities. His statement resonated as a stark reminder that pastoralists often find themselves overlooked in policy discussion and formulation. Sudhir’s assertion serves as a call to action for policymakers, urging them to acknowledge the vital role of pastoralists and the urgent need for targeted interventions to empower and uplift these communities.

Key findings from Ms. C. Thakur's study on pastoral communities were presented by the research scholar, who is set to shape the discourse about the rights and problems facing these people. Her commitment to expressing the essence of pastoralism makes a huge contribution to raising awareness and promoting thoughtful discussion of these important issues.

ActionAid Association's regional manager for Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, Saurabh Kumar, underlined the urgent need to strike a balance between environmental conservation efforts and the space needed for pastoralists' subsistence. In his poignant words, “We can make an elephant corridor—a passage marked by the government to allow the passage of elephants, but we must also ensure adequate space for livestock and the people caring for them.”

In the eastern Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, more than 2.5 million people from diverse communities rely on sheep rearing to sustain their livelihoods. These nomadic pastoralists traverse with their animals, encountering challenges such as limited resources, shifting climatic conditions, and restrictions on entering forest and grazing lands.

Furthermore, pastoral communities are not uniform and experience a myriad of identifications in the state as they are not officially recognised as “pastoralists” by the government. In some states, they are recognised as scheduled castes, while in others, they are deemed to be other backward classes. They are marginalised communities with difficulty accessing basic amenities such as drinking water, shelter, medicine, education and health services.

It was in recognition of the diversity within pastoral communities and the pressing need to make them the true custodians of ecological justice that SAMVAD and ActionAid Association hosted the Zonal Level Convention.

About ActionAid

ActionAid India’s work with these communities is strongly focused on women and children. It was established with a vision to create a world without poverty, patriarchy and injustice in which every person enjoys the right to life with dignity. In 2006, ActionAid Association was registered as an Indian organisation, governed by an independent General Assembly and a Governing Board. Together with supporters, communities, institutions and governments, they strive for equality, fraternity and liberty for all. It works in 24 states and two union territories, with several partners and allied organisations. ActionAid Association is part of a global federation and a full affiliate of ActionAid International, that has presence in over 40 countries worldwide.