An Over View of the Socio-Economic Characteristics of the Gujjars and Bakarwals with Special Reference to the State of Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

Gujjars and Bakarwals constitute a significant proportion of the population of the state. they constitute about 8.1 percent of the total population in the state According to the census of India, 2001. The Jammu region has the highest population of Gujjars and Bakerwals followed by the Valley of Kashmir. Gujjars according to some historians have migrated to Jammu and Kashmir from Gujarat (via Rajasthan) and the Hazara district of North Western Frontier Province in the 5th and 6th century A.D. at the occurrence of some serious droughts. They moved out of Gujarat and crossing Rajasthan and Punjab entered the green pastures of the Siwaliks and the Himalayas.The biggest impediment in the formal education of Gujjar and Bakerwal children is the Transhumance practice. The frequent seasonal migration is one of the biggest hurdles in the education of Gujjar and Bakarwal community.

Gujjars and Bakarwals have adjusted themselves to different patterns of life and adjustment due to harsh climatic conditions, which vary from place to place in Jammu and Kashmir. In general, they are nomadic in character and largely depend on rearing livestock for their livelihood. Gujjars and Bakerwals are rich in terms of cultural heritage. They have an edge over other communities of the State so for as a distinct cultural identity is concerned. They have their own language Gojri that is an offshoot of the Indo-Aryan school. They have their own costumes, traditions, food habits, lifestyle, and arts and crafts, which vary from area to area