Subscribe
The Dhangar community, a pastoral and nomadic tribal group in Maharashtra, has intensified their efforts to reclaim traditional grazing lands amid growing concerns about the shrinking spaces for their sheep and goats. On August 20, 2024, members of the community gathered at the Khamgaon sub-division office in Buldhana district, marking a significant demonstration of their demand for designated grazing corridors.
The Dhangars are renowned for their migratory shepherding practices and traditionally traverse vast distances to ensure the sustenance of their flocks. This seasonal migration, which includes returning to their base areas during the monsoon season, has been increasingly impeded by the loss of accessible grazing grounds.
The community first raised these concerns in 2022, when they sent 20,000 postcards to the state government, highlighting the urgent need for the restoration of traditional grazing lands. Despite their previous efforts, little progress has been made, prompting the latest march to the sub-division office. The recent protest comes against the backdrop of upcoming legislative assembly elections, which are scheduled by the end of 2024.
Saurabh Hatkar, leader of the Mendhpal Putra Army (translates to Army of the Sons of Shepherds), belonging to the community from Buldhana district of the state said that about 70 per cent of the areas in his district have shrunk over decades. Many of these areas have been lost due to forests secured under Indian Forest Act, 1927, farmlands, development and other factors, he alleged.
“For instance, much of the grazing land was lost in 1996 after the state government declared Dnyanganga wildlife sanctuary, which neighbours my native Nandri village. Since then, shepherds and forest department officials have faced conflict multiple times over the issue of grazing on traditional places,” Hatkar added.
In Maharashtra, the community is concentrated in Buldhana, Latur, Amravati, and Yavatmal, Vidarbha. The community is found in Sangli and Satara in western Maharashtra, as well as the northern regions of Nashik and Pune.
The community previously travelled up to 300 kilometres within its radius, but is now limited to 100 kilometres, Hatkar said. “In Vidarbha, people travel from Buldhana to Amravati and Akola. Some people may travel as far as Chandrapur. On the western side, they move towards Konkan region,” he added.
These routes have been traditionally known and followed for generations, he said. “But restrictions from the forest department, agriculture and infrastructure have limited the areas. Our movements are perceived as encroachment on forest lands and shepherds end up receiving legal cases slapped against them,” Hatkar told Down To Earth (DTE).
He argued that sheep and goat grazing does not degrade the forest, as often claimed by forest department officials. “Rather, the animals add fertility and value to the soil. It has been happening for centuries and never negatively impacted the forests,” the community leader said.
The community was not consulted during these processes and its demands have stood for years, Hatkar told DTE. “Multiple meetings with the forest department officials have failed to address the issue as they recommend grazing our sheep and goats without being mobile. This move will directly impact our livelihoods and cultural heritage that is being followed for generations,” he added.
To address the issue, the community seeks defined grazing corridors under the Forest Rights Act of 2006.
“We also want grazing prohibitions to be lifted that were imposed under the Indian Forest Act and we want all cases filed against the shepherd community by the forest department withdrawn,” Hatkar added.
The community has also demanded that the fencing of grazing lands be stopped immediately, with the government taking control for conservation and afforestation.
Other demands also include a dedicated veterinary clinic for sheep and goat across the state and compensation for the deaths of the livestock owing to extreme weather events and other unnatural causes.