Srinagar, Sep 26: As the winter is around the corner, the nomadic Bakarwal tribe of Jammu and Kashmir begins to move from the upper reaches to the plains.
Every year, thousands of nomads begin their annual seasonal journey with lakhs of sheep and goats from the Jammu region to reach the Kashmir valley.
These families embark on their journey towards the alpine pastures for grazing during the summer before returning to warmer districts of the Jammu region in October as the temperature goes down.
Instead of their regular movement on foot which would take weeks of marches and halts, the tribal families and their livestock have now been offered a lift.
J&K’s tribal affairs department used trucks for the transportation of livestock and families of the migratory tribal populations from various highland pastures in Kashmir to the Jammu districts.
A senior government official said that seven lakh people from tribal communities, including Gujjars and Bakerwals, travel every year with their livestock mostly from Jammu to Kashmir in summer and back in winter. The transport facility will reduce the travel time of some of these families from 20-30 days on foot to 1-2 days.
“District administration Shopian and budgam has made arrangements for transport and other facilities,” he said.
He said that the reverse vertical migration of tribal families has started while government transport is being provided from pick-up points in district Ramban. DC Ramban, Mussarat Zia is supervising the arrangements for them, besides the help-desks have been established,” he added.
The official further said the administration is working continuously at different levels to safeguard the rights of tribals.
Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, Dr. Basharat Quyoom said that the first batch of 10 trucks with tribal migratory families and livestock on board from Anantnag departed for the Jammu region. Out of ten, eight trucks reached safely while two are on the way.
At South Kashmir’s Anantnag, several tribals said that they are feeling very happy that the government is taking their journey seriously and helping them to go back. “We can’t believe that the government would provide us with transport facilities,” says Abdul Suliman an elderly tribal from the Rajouri district.
Similarly, Mohammad Zubair Khan, another nomad said that this year, the government has provided all facilities to them. “We hope that the government will provide us with similar facilities in the future,” he said.
At Bandipora district, a group of nomads say that for the past several days, the administration has been in touch with them and is serious about sending them back to the Jammu region by providing transportation.
