Jaipur, India – February 27, 2024: Nomadic pastoralist communities from 13 different states across India came together for a two-day convention to address pressing issues affecting their rights, livelihoods and cultural heritage. ActionAid Association, a leading non-profit organization committed to social justice and sustainable development, hosted this landmark convention in Jaipur on February 26th and 27th, 2024. Leaders representing diverse pastoral groups, including Rabari, Raika, Gujjar, and Gaddariya, among others, convened to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing nomadic pastoralists in contemporary India. The convention provided a platform for constructive dialogue between pastoral communities, academicians, community-based organizations, and policy makers.

During the first session, participants recognized the indispensable role of nomadic pastoralists in sustainable land use, biodiversity conservation, and cultural preservation. They also acknowledged the historical neglect and marginalization of nomadic pastoralist communities in policy and legal frameworks. Furthermore, the convention affirmed the urgent need to protect and promote the rights, livelihoods, and cultural heritage of nomadic pastoralists.

The convention commenced with a series of panel discussions featuring community leaders, academics, and policy makers. Surajben Rabari, a prominent community leader, highlighted the emerging challenges faced by pastoralists, including dwindling pasturelands and inadequate health facilities for livestock. The discussion underscored the importance of community-based organizations in supporting nomadic pastoralist communities, with Umeed Singh Rabari advocating for a minimum support price for wool and other commodities produced by pastoralists.

Policy makers, including Dr. P.C. Bhati from the Rajasthan Government’s Animal Husbandry department and Sudhir Pal, a committee member on pastoral rights under the Forest Rights Act, shared insights into existing welfare mechanisms and the challenges in their implementation. Dr. Bhati announced the upcoming launch of 536 mobile veterinary vehicles to provide doorstep healthcare services for sick animals, while Sudhir Pal emphasized the need to address the systemic marginalization of nomadic pastoralists in policy formulation.

The first day of deliberations culminated in the creation of a demand charter, outlining key policy recommendations to address the needs of nomadic pastoralists. The charter was slated for presentation to government ministers on the second day of the convention.

The second day of the convention was honoured by the presence of Shri Otaram Devasi, State Minister for Panchayati Raj Institutions in Rajasthan. Minister Devasi, himself a pastoralist, emphasized the importance of embracing technological advancements while recognizing the enduring challenges faced by pastoralist communities. He also stressed the significance of education in empowering pastoralist communities for a sustainable future.

In conclusion, the two-day convention produced a comprehensive demand charter and policy recommendations aimed at ensuring a just and sustainable future for nomadic pastoralists across India.

Speaking on the occasion, Sion Kongari, who leads ActionAid Association’s work in Rajasthan and Gujarat said: “Nomadic pastoralists constitute a large population in a semi-arid region like Rajasthan. With strong feminist overtones in their lifestyle, the pastoralists live and travel lightly on the land and provide a valuable ecological service by monitoring and preserving most valuable pasture lands across Rajasthan, and across different parts of the country. At a time when climate change and spread of modern industrial processes are impacting their livelihood and lifestyle, we need to explore ways in which we can protect their rights and help them continue being natural custodians of ecological resources. We need a national legislation to ensure a secure and prosperous future for millions of nomadic pastoralists of our land, who have been the makers of our history and often been at the suffering end in the last few decades.”

Shri Vagtaram Devasi, of the Rajasthan Raika Vikas Sanghathan, a leading people’s organisation working on pastoral issues and made up of raikas and rabaris said: “Pastoral communities across the country need to come together to share experiences with each other and together call for policies and schemes that could protect their way of life, which is increasingly important with climate change affecting livelihoods across different sectors.”

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For more information, contact: Mashkoor Alam| Mashkoor.Alam@actionaid.org | 7838355763

About ActionAid Association

ActionAid Association is an organisation working for social and ecological justice. ActionAid has been engaged with the most marginalised communities in India since 1972. In 2006, ActionAid Association was registered as an Indian organisation, governed by an independent General Assembly and a Governing Board. Together with supporters, communities, institutions and governments, we strive for equality, fraternity and liberty for all. ActionAid Association works in 24 states and two union territories, with several partners and allied organisations. ActionAid Association is part of a global federation and a full affiliate of ActionAid International, that has presence in over 40 countries worldwide.