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“Raikas” back after successful international meet

JAIPUR: A delegation of “Raikas” (camel breeders) from Rajasthan who visited Europe recently to meet fellow pastoralists and share traditional wisdom on livestock keeping, have returned after successfully convincing the decision-makers at global forums of the need to preserve livestock bio-diversity and indigenous production systems.

Attending a series of high-level meetings in Europe, they advocated the rights of herding communities and sought recognition for their role in bio-diversity conservation.

In Interlaken, Switzerland, the group attended the first international conference on animal genetic resources, organised by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). The conference addressed the world-wide loss of livestock bio-diversity, a trend that is happening because of the replacement of local breeds — for instance, Tharparkar and Rathi cattle — with a small number of international high-performance breeds such as Holstein-Friesian or Jersey cattle. “It is regarded as dangerous because exotic breeds are more susceptible to diseases and require higher inputs. In the long term, disappearance of locally adapted breeds may impact human ability to utilise dry lands and cope with climate change,” said Ilse Koehler-Rollefson of the Germany-based NGO, League for Pastoral Peoples, which arranged the tour on behalf of the Rajasthan NGO, Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS).

In Interlaken, the governments of 109 countries, including India, elaborated and agreed upon a Global Plan of Action (GPA) for preventing further extinction of local breeds. The action plan recognises the role of herding communities as custodians of local breeds.

“There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for the pastoralists of India after a quarter-century-long struggle. With the GPA it would be easier for these communities to get their rights established,” said Uttara Kothari, an academic from Jaipur, who accompanied the camel breeders as interpreter. “Unlike in Europe, India has no organised form of pastoralism. Here the traditional livestock keepers get shunted everywhere and their flocks often looked down upon as a menace while in Europe they get subsidies for preserving the indigenous breeds.”

The GPA is to support indigenous and local production and associated knowledge systems with the help of veterinary and extension services, delivery of micro-credit for women in rural areas, appropriate access to natural resources and to the market, resolving land tenure issues, the recognition of cultural practices and values, and adding value to their specialist products.

Hanwant Singh, Director of Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan who was part of the group, said, “It was very encouraging to see that the traditional knowledge of pastoralist groups in upholding genetic diversity is finally getting due recognition. By agreeing to GPA, India has committed itself to supporting them in their role as custodians of valuable breeds. ”

In Spain, Raikas attended a global gathering, which brought together hundreds of pastoralists. Organised by Spanish shepherds, the purpose of this meeting was to draw attention to the role of herders in eco-system management. At this event, Bagdi Ram Raika, a community leader from Chittorgarh, was elected to serve as councillor for India to the World Association of Mobile Indigenous People (WAMIP).

For the visiting camel breeders the high point of the trip was a rally through the heart of Madrid together with Spanish shepherds and their colleagues from Africa, Asia and the Americas. This is an annual event which marks the passing of Spanish migratory sheep herds from their summer to their winter pastures, and has been revived by Spanish conservationists who see pastoralism as an important tool for bio-diversity conservation.

“The event proved very refreshing for us. In India we are always blamed for our role in damaging the environment wildlife,” commented Rama Ram Raika.

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