local forest department, which has so far
viewed the Bawarias as a threat to wild
animals and biodiversity. The Indian gov-
ernment should rather recognise them as
indigenous ‘green guards’, protecting
crops from wild animals and thus perform-
ing a very valuable role in a largely agrari-
an society. A formal recognition of this will
help to both eliminate the social prejudice
against these peoples and contribute sig-
nificantly to reducing human-wildlife con-
flict in many parts of rural India.References
Jodha, N.S., Rural Common Property Resources: A grow-
ing crisis, Gatekeeper Series No. 24, IIED, London
1991.
Malhotra, K.C.,“Nomads in India”, in R. Chopra and A.
Agarwal (eds.), State of the Environment in India,
122-4, Centre for Science and Environment, New
Delhi, 1982.
Malhotra, K.C., Khomne, S.B. and Gadgil, M., “Hunting
strategies among three non-pastoral nomadic groups
of Maharashtra”, Man in India, 63: 21-39, 1983.
Malhotra, K.C., Socio-Biological investigations among the
Nandiwallahs of Maharashtra. Bull. Urgent Anthrop.
Ethnol. Sci.(Austria), 16:63-102, 1974.
Project Tiger, A Status Report, Ministry of Environment
and Forests, Government of India, 2001.
Rao, A. and M.J. Casimir, Movements of People:
Nomadism in South Asia, Oxford in India, Readings in
Sociology and Social and Cultural Anthropology, Oxford
University Press, New Delhi, 2003.
Rangarajan, M.,“The Politics of Ecology. The debate on
wildlife and people in India 1970-95”, The Economic
and Political Weekly, special issue, 2391-2409,
Notes(^1) Malhotra, 1982.
(^2) Rao, Casimir, 2003.
(^3) Malhotra et al., 1982; Malhotra and Gadgil, 1983.
(^4) Rangarajan, 1996.
(^5) Jodha, 1991.
(^6) Rao and Casimir, 2003.
(^7) Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2001.
(^8) Sualal Bawaria, personal communication, 2003.
(^9) The paddais the male buffalo and it is a common
domestic animal owned by the Bawarias. The padda
is used to provide mating services for the villages
along the road, which get their female buffaloes to
the Bawarias for impregnation. Since the Bawarias
are nomadic, this is a good strategy to ensure that
there is no inbreeding. For a successful mating the
Bawaria charge Rs 60-70. The paddathus serves as
a supplementary source of income, especially useful
when chowkidariwork has stopped.
Conservation aas ccultural aand ppolitical ppractice
Bahar Dutt([email protected]) works in
India on the issues of traditional livelihoods. She
has been working closely with a community of
snake charmers and documenting the impact of
conservation regulatory laws on their livelihoods.
She is a member of the World Alliance of Mobile
Indigenous People (WAMIP) and TILCEPA, a joint
CEESP and WCPA Theme. With reference to this
paper she would like to thank Mr Rattan
Katyayani, Director of the Muktidhara organisa-
tion, Mr Ramesh Kumar and the University of
Cologne.Picture 4.A Bawaria man with an idol of
their goddess wrapped safely to protect it
from dust. Due to their nomadic way of life,
the idols of gods and goddesses are
wrapped and kept on top of tree. They are
brought down only during festivals.
(Courtesy Ramesh Kumar).