‘Illegal’ sheep grazing haunts nomadic Rabari community in North Telangana

Adilabad: In a turn of events, large flocks of sheep and the train of camels of the nomadic Rabari pastoralists from Kutch in Gujarat will no longer be welcome in North Telangana, especially in Kumram Bheem Asifabad and Adilabad districts.

According to Forest Department officials, huge herds of these animals are illegally grazing in local forests, degrading the environment, besides creating acute scarcity of green fodder for domestic animals of local forest communities.

Pastoralists fined Rs 1.5 lakhs for authorised grazing

A Rabari ‘dera’ or caravan of sheep and camels owned by the pastoralists was recently fined a whopping Rs 1.5 lakhs in Kerameri mandal of KB Asifabad for unauthorised grazing. The Forest Department traced the movement of the dera following a complaint by locals, according to top officials.

The Kerameri dera and other Rabari caravans have been asked by the Forest Department to exit the forest areas. This has resulted in great confusion among the pastoralists.

The shepherd community has been visiting Telangana forests for 70 years

The issue related to Rabaris from Gujarat ‘illegally’ grazing their sheep in the forests of Telangana is not new. The shepherd community has been coming to the forests here for over 70 years, according to some old grocers of Adilabad town who still supply food grains to the caravans.

“Normally, we spend only four months of monsoon in these parts and migrate to Chandrapur district of Maharashtra for the remaining eight months,” revealed Vinod Rabari, who was fined by the Forest Department. “It is impossible for us to go anywhere at this juncture carrying the large number of lambs born recently,” he added trying to explain his woes.

Rabaris facing issues in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh

KB Asifabad district forest officer Neeraj Kumar Tibrewal said the entry of such large flocks of sheep or goats in the forests is barred under various laws like the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. “We will not allow the animals into the forests,” he said sternly.

“The Rabaris, alternately called the Maldharis, are facing similar issues in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh States too,” pointed out Sajal Kulkarni, director of Centre for People’s Collective, Nagpur, who is credited with extensive research on pastoralist communities including the one in question. “Governments, however, do not realise that grazing in forest should be allowed in the interest of its regeneration,” he observed.

“I am primarily worried about the availability of green fodder for local animals. If the villagers are complaining of fodder shortage due to the grazing by the larger flocks of sheep, it means required action needs to be initiated,” Tibrewal explained as he countered the argument of the researcher.

‘Nomadic community must be given forest rights’

Kulkarni was nevertheless firm on his contention that the nomadic community should be given grazing rights in the forests. “The provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 can be explored for the purpose,” he suggested.

“Section 3(1)(d) and entailing provisions of the FRA dealing with grazing rights for nomadic communities can be of help. As it is an inter-state issue, the respective governments can come up with some mutually agreeable formula,” he added.