Javed Gojri
India is a diverse country and known for many unique tribes, cultures and birthplace of many religions. One such tribe that lived in remote parts of Himalayan ranges and has distinct dialect and culture is Gujjar and Bakharwals. They have a fair complexion, long noses, distinct wide foreheads and are tall. The Gujjars and Bakharwals of the Kashmir region mainly follow Islam as a religion and speak Gojari which is similar to the Pahari dialect but have many different words. They were once the holders of the crown and kingdom but now roaming in the forests and hills of the Himalayas. They are simple people and comparatively of backwards communities and mostly are landless wandering in open. They have small houses located in remote places in the mountains mostly made up of words and bricks. But they prefer to stay in tents and into open along with their precious livestock and keep shifting to higher ridges during summertime and come back to the house only in winter.
However, due to recent development in roads and tracks and increasing connectivity with cities, there have been some distinct changes that have taken place in the lifestyle of Gujjars and Bakharwals. They are now divided into three different categories on the basis of their movements (Shifting nature) i.e. settled, half settled and homeless. Settled are those who have taken agriculture as the main occupation and stay at one place. Half settled are those who do agriculture but move to high reaches during summers with their families and live stocks for grazing. Homeless are those who keep moving from one place to another along with their sheep and goats depending on the weather and season in the region. Mostly Bakharwals belong to the Homeless category.
For instance, the Gujjar and Bakharwals of the Kandi belt belong to a half-settled category and started to lead a life with a permanent settlement at a place. Every person likes to remain with their tribe and their feuds and litigations also take place on a clan basis. Khatana, Fhamda, Chechi, Pakhwal, and Thokar are some of the prominent surnames in this belt. Due to their lifestyle, the education level among Gujjars and Bakharwals is less compared to other people in the area. However, due to lifestyle changes, they have started taking interest in educating their children and establishing their shops in many places. Govt have opened many nomadic schools and hostels for improvement of education level among the tribe and have provided reservation in jobs to help them in uplifting their economical standards. The people staying near the foothills of Gulmarg are peace-loving and extend their help in spreading the message of Aman and Shanti among locals. They have a rich cultural heritage and many take a keen interest in painting and music. They have their unique folk songs and dance to celebrate special occasions and rituals. One must visit their place to explore its uniqueness and cultural richness to know more about this nomadic tribe.
