Dehra Dun, May 6
After Uttarakhand, it is the turn of the Himachal Pradesh government to stop Van Gujjars, nomadic tribals, from migrating to highland pastures in the state despite promulgation of the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (recognition of forest rights) Act on January 1, 2008.

A total of 432 Van Gujjar families comprising more than 1,000 members and thousands of milch animals are stranded. This year these tribals have been denied entry to their traditional grasslands in Shimla district.

According to SOPHIA, a voluntary group working with the tribals, charged that these Gujjars have been stopped at Kenchi and Naliya just before Chajpur forest and at Siranha before Churdhar forests, Neruwa, 30 km from Chaupal of Shimla district in Himachal Pradesh by forest officials.

Van Gujjars residing in the Shivalik forests of Dehra Dun and Saharanpur districts had been moving with their herds, since ages to higher Himalayan pastures in the summer in Uttarakhand as well as Himachal Pradesh.

Since, Uttarakhand came into being Van Gujjars coming from Shivalik forest ranges in Saharanpur were denied entry into highland pastures in Uttarkashi district by the Uttarakhand government. The argument given by the state government officials was that these tribals belong to Uttar Pradesh. However, for the past four years they were let off to go to their migratory pastures.

This time, Himachal Pradesh officials have also stepped in to stop these migratory tribals. Interestingly, Himachal Pradesh recognises Van Gujjars as Scheduled Tribe unlike Uttarakhand. They pay tax to the state government for the forest resources they use and they receive receipt of this payment every year.

“These Van Gujjars are handed a central government letter dated July 2, 2004, addressed to all chief secretaries of all states referring to a Supreme Court order banning all non-human activities in the protected areas.

The Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act nullifies all such orders,” claimed Parveen Kaushal of SOPHIA.

He charged that after the new forest law has been implemented, the state governments of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are trying to deny entry to migratory Van Gujjars in order to finally deny them any re-settlement plan as per the law.

Jagat Parkash Nadda, HP forest minister, said he was not aware of the matter. Pankaj Khullar, principal chief conservator of forests of the state denied that any such restriction has been placed on the Gujjars. “Atleast, there is no such order from forest department, he told the Tribune.

Meanwhile, Gujjars allege that they were stopped on the periphery by the forest rangers. “ Even few who could dare enter the forests have been threatened by chowkidars and forest rangers to go back,” Abdul Ghani, a Gujjar from Mohand stranded at Neruwa, 30 km from Chaupal in Shimla district said.