Mythologies of the Bakarwal Tribe

 

The Bakarwal, (also spelled) Bakkarwal or Bakrawala, are a nomadic ethnic group who along with Gujjars, have been listed as Scheduled Tribes in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh since 1991. Bakerwal and Gujjar is the largest Muslim tribe and the third-largest ethnic community in the Indian part of Jammu and Kashmir. They spread over a large area from Pir Panjal to Zanskar located in the Himalayan mountains of India. They are mainly found in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Bakarwals claim the same origin as Gujjar. The Gujjars are known by many names: Ajjadh, Dohdhi Gujjars, Banhara Gujjars, and Van-Gujjars. The Bakarwals claim to have traditionally practiced Hinduism, before their conversions to Islam. The Bakarwals belong to the same ethnic group as the Gujjars, and inter-tribal marriages take place among them.

In Indian-administered Kashmir, a nomadic tribe is struggling to maintain its traditional lifestyle in the face of changing forest landscapes and weather conditions. "People try to paint a rosy picture of our life but ours is, in fact, a saga of endurance and miseries," says Liaqat Khan, a shepherd from the Bakarwal tribe. The Bakarwals are part of a 3.4 million-strong nomadic community of the Jammu and Kashmir region, whose primary occupation is rearing cattle. At around 55km (34.17 miles) from Srinagar - the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir - they camp in Dardwodur forests. Nazira, 30, is a skinny mother cradling her new-born here. Her tribe arrived three days ago, and camped on the alpine heights. "It's time for us to start winter migration," Nazira says, as she sticks her head out from her makeshift tent. For years, the Bakarwal tribe has been shuttling between Jammu and Kashmir. They spend six months in Kashmir during summers, arriving in the valley in April. By October, they return to the plains of Jammu for the winters. "We belong to nowhere," says Zulfi, a young Bakarwal girl in Kashmir. "This is just our summer home." The Bakarwals were officially declared as a "scheduled tribe" - tribal communities recognised by the India's Constitution as socially and economically disadvantaged - by the federal government in 2001. Today, the tribe fears for the endurance of its traditional lifestyle due to increased wild animal attacks on their cattle - their main source of income. Sale of their livestock has also dwindled. "Earlier, a day of hard work would fetch a good amount of money for a sheep or a goat but not anymore," says Mohammed Zubair, 50, a disabled nomad camped on the outskirts of Srinagar.

The word ‘Bakarwal’ is found in the Gojri, Urdu. Dogri, Kashmiri, and Punjabi languages. The word consists of two parts ‘Bakar’ and ‘wal.’ ‘Bakar’ means goat and ‘wal’ means owner. The term “Bakarwal” has been widely used for migratory nomadic shepherds for centuries; its origin has not definitively been determined. The Bakarwal lifestyle is unique. In the summer Bakarwals travel to the high mountains of northern Pakistan for cooler weather and good pastures, while in winter they migrate to lower lands for warmer weather and less snow and live in far-flung areas. Their tribal celebrations, religious, social, and cultural events are distinctive and have existed since time immemorial. Along with their herds, horses are a critical part of the Bakarwal community and even the small children are skilled riders. Traditional Bakarwal dress is elaborate, featuring bright colors and intricate embroidery. The Bakarwal diet is mainly based on milk and yogurt, along with edible plants foraged in the wild. They are also expert herbalists and collect and use herbs for medicinal purposes. The Bakarwal nomads are true environmentalists who have much to teach the modern world about the majestic land they cherish and carefully steward. Historically, the Bakarwal nomads have been marginalized and currently live on the economic and cultural edge of society in Pakistan. They are wary of cities and the social ills of civilization. Bakarwals currently face challenges from all directions and are struggling to retain their culture, language, and nomadic way of life in this rapidly changing world. With the passage of time, the Bakarwal are losing their identity due to their semi-annual migrations. None of the government departments or NGOs have taken notice of this tribe to help in saving its distinct cultural heritage or to provide for critical basic human needs like health and education. The nomadic lifestyle precludes regular school attendance so families seeking education for their children typically either sell their flocks and settle in poor urban areas or send their boys to fundamentalist religious seminaries. In both cases, children thus educated do not remain in the community but rather assimilate to the sedentary lifestyle of the urban lower classes and lose their ethnolinguistic and cultural identity.  Bakarwals are an indigenous people without permanent residence who migrated from Indian-controlled Kashmir to Pakistan. They are also known as “Gujars” or “Gujjars.” Recent population estimates range from 2-3 million, although there is no reliable source to indicate an accurate number of Gojri speakers because the Gojri language was not included in language information collected in the last six censuses. 

Bakarwal tribal community of Jammu and Kashmir is found in every hilly nook of the region. Also known as Bakharwal, they are special nomadic tribes, mainly found in the Pir Panjal range of mountains located between the two states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Bakarwal tribes are also found in every corner of Northern provinces of the Himalayan Range, namely the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab. This tribe is also known as Dhangar in several parts of India. In Jammu and Kashmir alone, Bakarwal tribes are stretched out three areas of the state namely Jammu, which comprises of various districts like Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri; the Kashmir Valley which consist of several districts like Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara, Pulwama, Budgam and Anantnag. Moreover, Bakarwal Tribe is also settled in some parts of Ladakh consisting of Ladakh and Kargil districts. Bakarwal mainly are goatherds and shepherds by profession. The meaning of the words has got significance. Bakarwal is deduced from Punjabi, Urdu, Dogri, Kashmiri, and Hindi terms. The word Bakarwal is derived from two terms with different meanings- 'Bakri' or 'Bakar' means 'goat', and 'Wal' connoting 'one who takes care of'. In general, the name 'Bakarwal' signifies 'high-altitude goatherds or shepherds'. They are said to be originated from the tribes of Issac. The Bakarwal tribes rightly belong to the same racial stock, better known as Gujjars. Quite often there are instances of inter-marriage occurring between both the tribal families are heard. Although, Bakarwal tribes are well thought-out to be a 'gotra or clan' of the Gujjar tribes, there are quite a handful of native shepherds, belong to Bakarwal tribes, even though they do not fall into the family of any Gujjar tribe. The lifestyle of Bakarwal tribes also throws some light on their culture and societal set up. Through out the year they lead a secluded and lonely life, mingling with the turmoil that they face while living in such rugged terrains. Once in every year they take the pain of accompanying their herds of sheep to the steep high mountain regions for grazing them in the green fields. There is no exaggeration of the fact that Bakarwal tribes take near about six days to reach those remote meadows fro their own place of residence. During the summer seasons, when the nature is in its bounty, they can easily move from one meadow to the other. In general these Bakarwal tribes move in pairs. Once in a while, however, they may go alone or in larger groups largely depending upon the number of sheep or goats that they need to carry. Often other animals like dogs, the famous bhotia or Bakarwal dogs also accompany them. The physical characteristics of the Bakarwal males are that they keep long beards. Some of their characteristics along with their customs, language, manners and dressing sense match with the Gujjar tribesof Himachal Pradesh.

The Bakarwals of Jammu & Kashmir are predominantly Muslims and their way of life, language and customs are strikingly different as compared to their counterparts settled mostly in the plains of the state. Most of the one million Gujjars live in mountainous areas where they now depend heavily upon livestock rearing and small-scale agriculture. On the other hand the Bakarwals remain nomadic, and traditionally migrate to alpine pastures with their flocks of livestock for the summers. But even for the Bakarwals this is changing, as a significant percentage have settled in the plains owing to the increasing hardships the migration entails. As education has become important, this has also led to changes, since the practice of migration is the biggest impediment for those who want to ensure formal education for their children. According to a study, majority of the [tribal] population – the Gujjars and Bakarwals – in Jammu & Kashmir is illiterate. As per the data, 15 districts of the mountainous state which have a substantial Bakarwal population, have literacy rates less than the average literacy of 50.6% among the indigenous population (reffered to as ‘tribals’ in government terminology. The study further stated that the dropout rate of tribals is increases as the education level rises, from lower-primary to elementary level. In recent years, many pastures have remained out of bounds for nomads because of armed conflict in Kashmir. They have no access to north-west highlands of Kashmir like Gurez and Kargil. Some Bakarwal nomadic families found alternative pastures in the upper reaches of Dachigam, the habitat of the Hangul (or Kashmiri stag) which is Jammu and Kashmir’s state animal and the flagship species of the region’s wildlife. This has put them in direct confrontation with the wildlife department who accuse them of causing damage to the habitat of the Hangul.

The Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir are a nomadic pastoral group, notified as a Scheduled Tribe (ST), under the Jammu and Kashmir Scheduled Tribes Act, 1991. Ensuing from ethnographic fieldwork conducted with the Bakarwals in the Jammu and Kashmir region, this paper argues that the traditional marriage practices of the Bakarwals have transformed in the contemporary times with respect to the various processes associated with globalization and the increasing access to the new facilities of mobility. The cultural transactions resulting as a part of liberalization and globalization have led the Bakarwals to associate with modern traditions, rituals and customs, which are essentially non-Bakarwal patterns of life. This paper highlights the new patterns and meanings adopted by the Bakarwals of Kashmir as a mode of their new existence. The exposure to new variants of contemporary culture and shrinking pastures have made many Bakarwals to give up their traditional occupation of rearing livestock —an occupation once seen as sacred. Many of the Bakarwals have started practising agricultural farming, while few have started working as labourers and others have started taking “modern” occupations like driving. In marriages too, the Bakarwals are seen to follow the traditions and rituals followed by the non-Bakarwal groups. The Bakarwals used to have their own traditions, customs and rituals in marriages which were not seen in other non-Bakarwal groups. However, in contemporary times, the Bakarwals are avoiding these ancestral traditions, rituals and customs. This paper is an attempt to document the changes in the marriage practices and rituals, which were once cherished by the Bakarwals but now seem on the verge of extinction.

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