Fizala Khan
A pregnant lady, Safiya Jan of Lehan Dajan village, located in Pahalgam, in Anantnag district, South of Jammu Kashmir, belonging to Gujjar – Bakarwaal community was carried on a cot by locals to a hospital as the highways remain closed due to round the clock – heavy snowfall across Kashmir.
The family was reportedly unable to take Safiya to the hospital because of heavy snowfall, who in her third trimester, had developed severe pregnancy-related complications, endangering both herself and her yet to be born child. The locals lost no time and trekked nearly five kilometers.
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The foot patrol started moving the lady on a cot, through ankle deep snow, as the highway remains cut off due to heavy snowfall across Kashmir.
The Kashmiriyat spoke to a Student Activist who brought light to the situation and tweeted about the plight of Gujjar – Bakarwaal community in harsh weathers. He spoke to The Kashmiriyat and said, “The lady had to be carried for her delivery at a hospital when roads are closed due to snowfall. Not only Gujjar – Bakarwaal community, but all Kashmiris are suffering and going through this”.
He further added, “These incidents are common and are happening in different parts of Kashmir. There are reports of sick and ill people passing away every year amid harsh winters in Kashmir, because of delayed aid and help. Kashmir has inadequate number of snow clearance machines, as a result we see incidents like these in our society. Day before yesterday, another lady had to be carried on a cot, whilst the other women from Bandipora gave birth on the cot, before she could even reach medical aid”.
He concluded that, “Such grave issues could have been avoided and sorted easily, if the administration made necessary and proper arrangements before the snowfall. They could have provided helpline numbers for locals in far off regions to cope up with this situation, where people are often trapped during winters”.
The effects of climate change on the transhumance of Gujjar – Bakarwaals in Kashmir pose difficult challenges. The arid nature of the climate together with the poverty levels faced by those people living in the mountains covert that the increasing temperatures, intensified cold conditions and the increased frequency of weather events leads to cause of concern for their livelihood.
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Non – availability of medical facilities in the higher reaches has affected majority of the respondents as in the pasture lands, accommodation becomes a threat during harsh weathers yearly. Due to heavy snowfall, this season showcases their positions and the challenges the nomadic tribe of Jammu Kashmir face. Inadequate drinking water, pasture, food, dead cattle and reducing number of livestock during snowfall, and temporary settlement is amongst the many problems faced by them in meadows.
Through summers, these nomads, especially Bakarwaals – rear cattle in the high altitude grazing lands and put up in the wood-and-mud structures. As winters approach, they cross over the Pir Panjal range towards Jammu region and settle there for the next six months. During the winters most of their structures in the Kashmir forests remain abandoned, but the demolition drive by Jammu Kashmir administration, primarily targeting temporary dwelling places of nomadic communities, had taken off in Pahalgam, in early November of 2020 changed their settlement plans and affected their livestock.
“Where will we go this winter? Why will we leave this place when it is our own? We have been living here for ages,” said Farooq Ahmad, a 50-year-old who has lived with his family at Wangidar, in Pahalgam for years.
According to previous reports, in May of 2009, the continuous snowfall for 15 days, resulted in the ill – fated death of 50 members of Gujjar – Bakarwaal community along with lakhs of animals. The government has since, improved relief methods and plans for the community. But, according to activists and locals of the community, better services to provide a prosperous and healthy lifestyle, keeping them and their livestock out of danger can be adopted and adapted by the administration.