RABARI COMMUNITY

The PastoralistsNomads of Gujarat: Rabaris 12bal116

The Pastoralists Nomads of Gujarat: RabarisInstitute of Law , Nirma UniversitySociology

Submitted by: Submitted to: Mansi Trived (12bal116)IntroductionPastoral nomads are found all over the world. Basically pastoral nomads are the people who move their herds in search of new grazing or occupation. Pastoralism is singular occupation but there is an extraordinary diversity in the nomadic groups still following this way of life in India[footnoteRef:2] In India there are several pastoral nomads ranging from the Himalayas which include Gaddi , Gujjar and Bakarwaal as in Gujarat Bharwad , Rabaris , Jath and Banni herders are well known wanderers. [2: T.S.Randhawa (1996) THE LAST WANDERES Nomads and gypsies of India Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Ahmadabad. ]

This Paper mainly focuse on the RABARIS nomadic pastoral of western regions of india. Further the article is divided into several sections they are as follows -The first section of the paper will deal with the origin of Rabaris including their traditions and customs which act as a binding norm on the people belonging to that group or nomadic tribe. The second part deals with the occupation and marriage system that prevails in the Rabari community. The third part deals with the certain problems which are faced by the nomadic group which made them to settle in several parts of western India and in some part of Sindh. The fourth and the last part will deal with the present scenario of the Rabari community who have flourished in the recent past. Not all those who wander are lost[footnoteRef:3] [3: J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring]

- J.R.R .TOLKIEN

Nomadic Pastoralism prevails in the dry lands of western India (Thar Desert) and on Deccan plateau as well as mountainous regions of North India. In India the village has always been the focal unit for investigations by anthropologists as well as for development interventions, pastoralists, due to their transient and dispersed existence have somehow have fallen the gaps and escaped the attention of researchers and development agencies[footnoteRef:4]. There are several kinds of classifications which are taken into consideration for dividing the nomadic and semi nomadic tribes such as classification on the basis of occupation and eco systems. Rabaris are included in the pastoral and cattle herder type[footnoteRef:5]. The major pastorals of Gujarat are Bharwads and Rabaris.there is very thin difference between Rabaris and Bharwads. The Rabaris are divided into small sub sets. Among Rabaris/Raika who are extant in Gujarat and Rajasthan , as well as other states , there is high degree of regional diversification with respect to the language, deities worshipped and clothing.[footnoteRef:6] We can several similarities between the settled tribe and nomads. Nomadic and itinerant tribes have a similar range of primitive rituals and practices as do settled tribes. However because of their wanderings, they came into the contact with the dominant religions of subcontinent much earlier than the more secluded settled tribe[footnoteRef:7]. Many Rabaris live on the india Pakistan kutch border most of them are known as sindhi rabaris as on Indian regions we find hindu rabaris who also pray to pir (generally muslim worship pir) [4: Vijay paul Sharma , Ilse kohler rollefson , john morton Pastoralism in India : A Scoping Study department for international development.IIM-A.] [5: K.G.Karmakar (2002) The Silenced drum : A review of tribal economic development new Delhi , Northern book center] [6: Vijay paul Sharma , Ilse kohler rollefson , john morton Pastoralism in India : A Scoping Study department for international development.IIM-A.] [7: T.S.Randhawa (1996) THE LAST WANDERES Nomads and gypsies of India Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Ahmadabad. ]

Origins of RabarisRabaris are densely distributed in Rajasthan, Kutch , Saurashtra regions of Gujarat but also occur in Punjab , Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Rabaris are divided according to the regions in which they have dispersed such as kutchi rabaris of kutch , sidhi rabari of sindhi , rabaris of saurashtra and raikas of rajasthan. It appears that the original home of rabaris was marvar , from where they spread into different western parts of india. There are different lores about there sttlememnts at the different place. According to one account the rabaris of kutch had their home in jhalra patan , in the name of alla-ud-din khilji. In his one of the expeditions to rajputana, alla-u-din heard about the beauty of rabari girl of that place and wanted to marry her. The rabari craved a short respite to consider that matter giving their bards as hostages.they then secretly left the place , and wandering west they came to nagar summa in sindh, where sumara prince was ruling . he gave the shelter. Soon after , about ten years AD 1315 the sumra power in sindh was crushed by the muhamamdans. The rabaris then took refuge with sammans and went to kutch with them, supplying them milk from the herds of camels and cows[footnoteRef:8] its said that rabari have not forgrtten the former patrons sumras and till today the woman donot colour the bangles but wear them white as the sign of mourning. So as the rabaris starting from the north to rajasthan then to sindh and again enetered into india via saurashtra belt and kutch regions. We find rabaris in rajasthan (Raikas) who are commonly camel breeders.in kutch we find rabaris engaged into the knitting business and in saurashtra they are mostly animal breeders. Rabari is the more encompassing term. They are hindu camelmen and drivers, cattle breeders and shepherds, presently falling into three distinct, endogamous, regional, tribal group :those of rajasthan(chunwalia) , of central area of Gujarat (patanwalia) and of the erstwhile princely state of kutch, now in Gujarat. The are also known as rahwari, raika (in rajasthan) and bhopa in Gujarat.[footnoteRef:9] The term rabari also means the rahebaris means going out of the path. Bharvads and rabaris are the plain nomadic , not much of difference is seen in the life style this communities as there are many differences as bharvads are said to have mythical association with lord Krishna and majorly go and pray in the temples of Lord Krishna , Dwarkadhishji[footnoteRef:10] is the most famous temple among all other . Whereas the Rabaris are the people who mostly believe in the Ashapuara Devi[footnoteRef:11] and worship shrines of Mekam Dada and Haji Pir. Bharvads believes in merriment and rabaris are fast on foots and hard working. Rabaris mainly wear black and young girls wear dupatta with tie and die red dots .some rabari families keep a separate female camel, a mata meri, which is never ridden and is considered sacred. The decisions of elders are respected and the opinions of the young are also taken into consideration. This nomadic tribe is more religion inclined. The following is the data regarding the rabari in Gujarat. [8: T.S.Randhawa (1996) THE LAST WANDERES Nomads and gypsies of India Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Ahmadabad. ] [9: ibid] [10: Dwarkadheesh Temple, Dwarka which is situated at the extreme west of Gujarat (porbandar port).] [11: Mata no Madh situated In kutch.(80ks away from bhuj)]

The Rebari of Gujarat are said to have migrated there from Marwar in Rajasthan. They are subdivided into the following groups (according to Westphal Hellbusch and Westphal, 1976): Kutchi- living in western Kutch between Lakhpat and Nakrathana and around Bhuj. Dheberya- inhabiting the area to the south and southeast of Bhuj in eastern Kutch, especially around Anjar and Mandvi. Vagariya- extant near Vagad and Rapad, also in eastern Kutch Sorathi- consisting of populations in the Barda Hills (1,000 families) and in the Gir Forest (10,000-12,000 people, ) Bhopa- camel breeders in Okhamandal on western coast of Saurashtra (1400 families) Gujarati- inhabiting northern Gujarat, near the border with Rajasthan(about 2,00,000 people of which 10,000-25000 live in Ahmedabad)[footnoteRef:12] [12: Vijay paul Sharma , Ilse kohler rollefson , john morton Pastoralism in India : A Scoping Study department for international development.IIM-A.]

Occupation in Rabari Community.Rabari people mainly depend on the cattle rearing.The Rabaris of Gujarat and that of rajathan somewhat have the same kind of occupation. Maru raika of rajasthan are the camel breeders and godwar raikas ar the sheep raisers. In Gujarat the rabaris who are semi nomadic raise buffaloes and Bharwads who are now mostly settled in Gujarat are the the cow breeders. Rabaris with the passage of time and increased urbanization , they have learned the rule of interdependence. In many cities of Gujarat such as surat , vaslasd , morbi they provide milk and mava[footnoteRef:13]to the sweet shops and dairies. If not endowed with livestock on their own , rabaris often occupy professions where they interact with animals , for example as care takers at gaushala[footnoteRef:14]. With the development of dairy industry in Gujarat most of the rabaris and bharwards (nomadic tribe of Gujarat ) have migrated to ahemdabad baroda valsad anand etc and contribute to the milk industry of Gujarat. Certain unions and groups are formed for the protection of their rights and to raise issue against exploitation, if at all happens. Bharvads settled in the central regions of Gujarat that too long before rabaris . the population of rabaris in Gujarat was 2,15,664 according to the population census of India. In Gujarat the rabris are considered in the schedule tribe(ST) who live in the hilly regions , dang etc. Where as in rajasthan the raika/rabari are included in other backward classes(OBC). The rabari women at the time of navratri engage themselves in decorating the cosumes with different kinds of works and embroideries. Rabaris are very famous for their embroideries. In kutch the rabari community has come up as they have formed different associations such as kala raksha and STFC[footnoteRef:15] shrujan,Where the rabari women ,show there art in form of embroidery and piece of thread work.Further the patch work or the piece of work is sold into the market and are exported as well. The occupation which was of cattle rearing has now changed as per the requirements of time. The nomadic have become semi nomadic and semi nomadic groups have more or less settled.in the earlier times the women of the semi nomadic group used to take care of the house and its decorations when the men would go out for the cattle rearing. [13: Mava is a milk product (famous in saurashtra regions of Gujarat, India )] [14: Gaushala cow sanctuaries.] [15: STFC sewa trade facilitation centre (was established in 2003) it is a commercial arm of SEWA.]

But due to the changing times the occupations of the nomadic pastorals are also changed.The change has proven good for the welfare of such nomads but the question lies that whether we will be able to preserve the rich culture of such groups ?Table: Major Pastoralist Groups in Selected States of India [footnoteRef:16] [16: Vijay paul Sharma , Ilse kohler rollefson , john morton Pastoralism in India : A Scoping Study department for international development.IIM-A.]

StatePastoral groupRefrence

Andhra PradeshGolla (cattle), kuruma (sheep)

Arunchal pradesh

GujaratRabari (cattle, sheep, goats), bharwad (small stock)Westphal-hellbusch et al.,(1974), Dyer and choksi (1997)

Karnataka Kuruubu(sheep), dhnagar(sheep)Anthra (1995)

KeralaToda(buffalo)Rivers(1906)

Madhya PradeshDhangar(sheep)

MaharashtraDhangar(sheep)

RajasthanRaika (camel, sheep, goats)Gujjar (buffalo, sheep)Agrawal(1999), kavoori(1999) kohler-rollesfson (1992)

Tamil naduDuck pastoralism

Art work and embroideryThe art work or embroidery of the rabirs is world famous. Its a unique embroidery work depicting the ways of life of the rabari community. The different kinds of embroidery as per the occasions are made by the rabari groups. Each group will have identical kind of designs and colours n their dresses. In kutch the shrujan and sewa has built a platform for the rabari women who have permamently settled or migrated to the regions of kutch. Apart from embroidery mirror work is famous of the rabari community. The houses of the rabaris are decorated with mud and mirrors. They decorate interior of the huts with the patches of embroidery with some complex patterns. The art of embroidery and complexity is in the blood of rabarisMarriages in Rabari Community.Marriage is the most important part of the nomadic pastorals to sustain themselves. It is ritual event, it symbolizes the survival of the group and perpetuation of its tradition[footnoteRef:17]these occasions are community occasions and tine of rejoicing, certain days and months are marked for the performance of marriage among the nomads. All the marriages among the group take place on the same day or month. Bharvads the semi nomads perform the marriage on janmashtani as they consider it to be the auspicious day of the year as they believe in lord Krishna. Nomads generally give away the bride to the group which has some resources which in near future they can take advantage of. Exchange marriage is the most important kind of marriage among the nomads . Exchange marriages means if a certain group gives away the bride they will ask for the groom in return. This kind of marriages sustains the specific group and the number is maintained. Mameru[footnoteRef:18] was and is today itself considered as one of the important ritual to be performed by the girls side. Mameru in the olden times was given to the girl at the time of marriage or when she goes to stay at the house of husband permanently. When the wanderers were not so settled as todays time they used to ask for the mameru from the girls side as they would use it in the change of the occupation by the boy. The marriages among nomadic used to happen within the group as one of the main reasons of such practice that the wealth and property of the group will not go out their possession as it will remain within the group. Prosperity of nomadic was seen by the number of the cattles they own. Child marriages were a regular practice but after the urbanization and the settlement of such groups in cities, it has become less and in some parts they are absent. At the time of marriage there are special clothes which the group designs for the bride. The bride wears the beads jewellery on head and wears clothes with striking coloured embroidery. Some groups of the rabari community wear black but married and young women wears red duppata. The rabaris have prospered with passage of time but still the tradition of mameru exists in their society. Mameru becomes a problematic situation when the girls side is not that rich and the boys side are quite well off. Marriages have become flexible in present times such as the people living on the borders of kutch marry even to the rabaris who are settled in the urban regions. Mameru prevails in both nomadic pastorals of Gujarat Bharwads and Rabaris. [17: T.S.Randhawa (1996) THE LAST WANDERES Nomads and gypsies of India Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Ahmadabad. ] [18: Mameru gifts given to the bride at the time of marriage by uncle (mothers brother)]

Get together of nomads: fairs and festivals Fairs and festivals are necessary for the interaction between the nomadic groups. fairs such as fair of Mekam Dada where the rabaris and the nomads are joined by the Ahir.[footnoteRef:19] Tarnetar is the most famous fair where the bharwads and ahir come together. The fairs and festivals prove to be the a stage of interaction between the tribes and sometimes at the fairs and festivals the groups the ask for the eligible brides and grooms. It is an inseparable part of the nomad pastorals [19: T.S.Randhawa (1996) THE LAST WANDERES Nomads and gypsies of India Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Ahmadabad. ]

Problems Faced by the Nomadic Pastorals Pastorals of Gujarat or western regions can be classified into certain sub groups so the problem faced by them can be dealt with precision. Urban, village based, long distance group migration, permanent migration pastoral group[footnoteRef:20] .Rabaris living in regions of Ahmadabad, Baroda, anand etc keeps buffaloes and other cattles in and at the periphery of cities for milk production. Long distance migration is mostly seen among the rabaris/raikas of Rajasthan. the long distance migratory are called dangs. Mostly they consist of thousand of sheep , 10-20 baggage camels and 50 -80 abled bodied family members. They travel as per the climatic conditions in the different regions . they migrate to Madhya Pradesh , Gujarat etc. In todays time due to unnatural weather conditions and urbanization at vast there is permanent migration by the pastorals where they acclimatised. In permanent migration the nomads settle down with their herds and many a times with family members. In the rabaris of Rajasthan it is seen that some men live permanently with the herds in Madhya Pradesh and other members return to Rajasthan or where they have permanent house for 6-7 months of the year. The nomads who have settled in the urban areas have the reservation in the government employment under other backward classes (OBCs). In Gujarat the rabaris are at the advantageous position as they are positioned below kshatriyas, Brahmins etc but are positioned above the untouchables. In Guajarati Rabaris unlike the Raikas of Rajasthan they have land house farm and buffaloes, sheep or cows. Raikas of Rajasthan have large herd size but they dont have enough land, typically they represent landless livestock keepers. EDUCATION is also an problem among the nomads. As they have settled in th urban areas in the last two decades they cannot easily fetch a job at government services. The second grade jobs can be made available to them. As they have migrated their standard of living has improved. Sanity and health of the people has also improved, in the earlier times they used to suffer from skin diseases due to unhygienic form of life. Foot and mouth diseases were rampant among the nomads. Better health care and sanitization is provided by the government. In the midst of earning their livelihood somewhere the tribe is losing its own existence. They are adopting the new ways of life and the nomadism is fading. Not every group of the nomad pastorals have sttled in urban areas , there are still many groups who wander around and live the same life style. Due to many new projects by the government in the bhuj(GMDC projects). Nomads are facing many problems of grazing and living. Rabaris of kutch who have permanent residence enjoy the facilities provided bu the government . after he earthquake of 2001 the situation of kutch bhuj is far better than before the earthquake. Even Dhordo in kutch is the last village before the great raan of kutch and Pakistan (where every year the rannostav of Gujarat is held) gets electricity supply. With the development and thanks to the weather conditions the nomads face a serious problem in sustaining their livelihood. The condition of the nomads pastoral in Gujarat is far better than of the nomads in the Himalayas. The nomads of Gujarat are multi linguistic as they did not face problems of languages when they settle in the different regions of Gujarat. Many nomads who were not in possession of good livestock have turned into labourers in the unorganized sector. Female rabaris have turned into house helpers. Due to lack of education and wealth some rabaris are suffering in amidst of the fast world. [20: Vijay paul Sharma , Ilse kohler rollefson , john morton Pastoralism in India : A Scoping Study department for international development.IIM-A.]

CONCLUSIONNomadism has prevented the tribes to take the full advantage of the governmental schemes. There are many schemes lays down by the government for the upliftment of the nomadics and trying to provide them welfare as the other citizens of the country. Government assistance for nomadic group includes vocational trainings balwadis for children, hostels ashrams etc. Those who settled at certain place got the benefits of the land reform etc and the people who are wanderers the government has tried to provide them a land in the village and subsidy to build a hut. Central government has stated theta every state should have a research institute for helping in formulating policies and preparing benchmark socio economic data. During the terrible drought in cutch in the years of 1985-88, under a novel programme y government, developed Handloom Development Corporation. In one instance there was a case in the supreme court in 1983 where the appellants where pastoral nomads where they won as the state government was discriminating against them during the passage through that state.judicary is independent of all. Afforestation is the major problem faced by the nomads as there are few places for the grazing of the animals.Urbanization and Developmental policies of the government are working. Many rabaris of Gujarat are well settled as they have their own land and property . with the rise in the real estate in past ten years they have flourished like never before. The reason of the same is that the rabaris owned land which were in the suburb areas as due to the infrastructural growth the prices of the lands have reached at its maximum. Rabaris and bharwads started selling off their land and bought houses and land in the central area. Thus there is avaibility of all the resources such as schooling, infrastructure, exposure etc. The standard of living of the rabaris whose ancestors were nomads now enjoys the comfort of the Audis and Mercs. They have invested the money in different sectors such as shares transportation etc. We see that there is more homogeneity in the society.it si indeed a tremendous process of change which is sweeping through the lives of these people who are the last wanderers not only of India but, perhaps of the world.[footnoteRef:21] [21: T.S.Randhawa (1996) THE LAST WANDERES Nomads and gypsies of India Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Ahmadabad. ]

Refrences :Books ReferredT.S.Randhawa (1996) THE LAST WANDERESK.G.Karmakar (2002) The Silenced drum : A review of tribal economic developmentGokul DarshanArticles ReferredVijay paul Sharma , Ilse kohler rollefson , john morton Pastoralism in India : A Scoping Study department for international development.IIM-A.