13 Policy Matters.qxp

In this paper, I examine the livelihood

strategies of the Bawarias and show how a

community used to be perceived as a threat

to wild animals is currently, without due

recognition, serving to protect biodiversity.

In a primarily agricultural economy, the

Bawarias have carved a niche for them-

selves by providing services of crop- protec-

tion to land-owning communities. The

Bawarias have adjusted to change by

embracing activities that diminish the moti-

vation or incentive on the part of settled

agriculturalists to kill crop-raiding wildlife.

Their knowledge and labour serve conserva-

tion but unfortunately go unrecognised

because of their stigmatised status as a

criminal tribe.

The nomads in India today

Historically, across India, villages were fre-

quently visited by nomadic communities.^2

The lohars, or the blacksmiths, would arrive

at the beginning of the agricultural season

to repair and sell agricultural tools and

implements; the pastoral groups such as

the Rabaris would build temporary shelters

on agricultural land where their cattle would

provide essential fertilisers for the fields.

Before easy mean of transport and commu-

nication were available, nomadic groups

served as useful adjuncts to sedentary soci-

eties. As occupational groups of hunters,

trappers, blacksmiths, basket weavers and

entertainers like puppeteers, acrobats for-

tune-tellers, singers and dancers, the

nomads shared a symbiotic relationship with

settled people. In return for their services

they were allowed to squat on the village

commons and use the village resources

such as water or pasture lands for grazing

their cattle, till they moved on to their next

dera (settlement).

According to sociologists, nomadism served

as an important economic strategy that

enabled mobile communities to exploit mar-

kets over a much larger area. Several of

these groups depend substantially on wild

animal and plant resources and have been

severely affected by wildlife conservation

policies which seek to reduce such use.^3

Nomadic lifestyle and wildlife con-

servation

The wildlife conservation policies of the

Indian government have involved a ban on

grazing, felling, foraging and hunting.

Wildlife policies have led many National

Parks to expel foragers and pastoralists.^4 In

the current study we found that the

Bawarias, who used to live and hunt inside

the Sariska National Park, in the north west-

ern state of Rajasthan, gave up their

Conservation aas ccultural aand ppolitical ppractice

Picture 1.A Bawaria hunter with his hunting
dog. (Courtesy Ramesh Kumar).

Picture 2.A Bawaria woman making a grinding

stone. (Courtesy Ramesh Kumar.)