Transformation
With the advent of new economic policies, planning and development programs both at the state and the centre, the transformation of socio-economic conditions and livelihood of pastoralist is inevitable. During different Five Year Plans in India, strategy for community development through integrated tribal development programme and tribal sub-plan have provided scope for uplifting the socio-economic
conditions of different primitive tribal communities including pastoralist. In addition to economic conditions, the changes in environmental and ecological conditions have too exerted pressure for the traditional pastoralists to look for other alternatives like small scale business, seasonal wage earning, engaging in settle agriculture, etc.
Despite all above conditions, the transformation among pastoralist is relatively limited and there is no specific developmental strategy for the pastoralist.
Future Challenges
Pastoralist makes a significant contribution to the economy of developing countries, both in terms of providing employment and income opportunities and in supplying nutrition to the poor. Pastoralist and their animal have developed a very long term mutually benefiting relationship. The pastoralists provide their animals with protection from predator, a balanced supply of food, health care and assured producing their progeny. And in return animals provide meat, milk, dung, wool, labour, and other services and the companionship and the transportation of people for better living. Pastoralist requires vast grassland for grazing their herds.
Besides, India is having a large number of pastoral communities that have very low socio-economic and political profile. They have been sidelined, paying no attention by the government policies, local businessmen, neighboring farmers, etc. even though their large contribution towards the national economy by producing milk, meat, leather, dung, and other products. The biggest challenge ahead to the pastoralist community is the shrinking of the pasture resource base due to establishment of national parks and sanctuaries, expansion of agriculture into marginal areas, etc. have crippled the traditional livelihood of pastoralist community.
Consequently, the pastoralist are involved in long standing conflicts with forest authorities and many of them have bitter experience of forceful expulsion from their common traditional grazing areas.
The future of pastoralist in the present situation is sometimes in dilemma. With the rapid growth in urbanization and industrialization, the pastoral land turns into the urban zone or industrial zone. In addition to this, due to Green Revolution and the growing consumption of chemical fertilizers, the cropping patterns of the village farmer have changed and the dependence of cattle dung for fertilizer also lessens.
Such changes in cropping patterns led to the changing attitude of the farmers towards the pastoralists. Many agricultural communities also have huge encroachment for agricultural land in the grassland areas which was used earlier by the pastoralist communities as a grazing field. The symbiotic relationship between the local farmers and the pastoralist communities becomes less functional and ultimately the pastoralist communities are unwelcome to their village. Sometime, conflict arises between the farmers and the pastoralists about pastoralist movement with the herds while crossing the neighbouring villagers.
Also, with the establishment of national parks, wild life sanctuary, construction of heavy dams, wide roads construction also bring another challenge to the pastoralist community. Subsequently, many of the pastoralists are forced to shift their traditional way of earning livelihood of herding to some other mechanism. So, there is an urgent call for government intervention for up-lifting the socio-economic
life of the pastoralist community.