The Van Gujjar community, a Muslim nomadic tribe in Uttarakhand, finds little benefit from participating in elections due to their historical marginalization resulting from both their tribal and religious identities.
The founder of the Van Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sanghatan, Mohammad Ameer Hamja, believes that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to eradicate their community, which has faced challenges due to conflicts with the state over their traditional forest-based lifestyle.
Despite efforts to organize politically and legally through the Sanghatan, the community faces increased marginalization, exacerbated by communal tensions encouraged by the BJP.
In the upcoming elections, many Van Gujjars may vote for the Indian National Congress to counter the BJP’s influence, but they generally have low expectations from the electoral process. Given their small and dispersed population, they feel they lack significant electoral influence.
The Van Gujjars, numbering around 70,000 in Uttarakhand, are spread across the state’s various regions, resulting in minimal electoral impact in each constituency. This lack of political representation contributes to their economic and social disadvantages.
Living in the Gohri range of the Rajaji National Park for centuries, the Van Gujjars face challenges such as inadequate housing, lack of electricity, and constant threats from forest authorities.
Despite being recognized as an Other Backward Class (OBC), the Van Gujjars have long sought Scheduled Tribe status like their counterparts in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, which would afford them more rights and benefits.
They have been denied basic entitlements such as ration cards, pensions, and subsidies, and are excluded from local gram panchayat elections due to the state’s refusal to recognize their settlements.
The community also faces discrimination based on religious polarization in Uttarakhand, where Hindu nationalist groups have made inflammatory statements without facing legal repercussions.
Their economic activities, once respected, have suffered due to religious bias, with instances of economic boycotts by certain Hindu communities.
Furthermore, the destruction of their religious shrines and the neglect of their forest rights claims under the current BJP-led government have added to their grievances.
The implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand has threatened their cultural practices, including marriage customs, raising concerns about the erosion of their heritage.
Despite being Muslims, the Van Gujjars receive little support from the broader Muslim community in Uttarakhand due to their tribal identity being perceived as more significant than their religious affiliation.
Most community members lean towards the Congress in elections, as they believe it offers comparatively fair treatment regardless of religious identity. The Congress has historically introduced policies benefiting the Van Gujjars, such as resettlement initiatives, which resonate positively within the community.
Some community members, however, support the BJP for practical reasons, such as local administrative access and association with the dominant national party.
Overall, the Van Gujjars feel politically marginalized, with no significant engagement from political candidates or parties addressing their specific concerns during elections. Despite their disillusionment with electoral politics, many community members still intend to vote, hoping for access to education, government schemes, and protection from state harassment.
The Van Gujjars have appealed to both Congress and BJP manifesto committees for policy recognition of their community’s traditional practices and environmental conservation expertise to address the ecological crisis in Uttarakhand.
Their primary desire is not for government support but for respect, dignity, and recognition of their unique cultural heritage and way of life.