The Case of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Camel Pastoralism in Rajasthan (India)

The Indian forest management system introduced during colonial times has led to the progressive loss of the grazing rights of the country’s pastoralists, culminating in the abolishment of grazing fees and replacement with grazing fines in 2004. This scenario has had a negative knock-on effect on the conservation of many of the livestock breeds that pastoralists have developed in adaptation to local environments and that are the basis of the country’s food security. This paper illustrates the dilemma with the example of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) in Rajasthan that represents the traditional monsoon grazing area for local camel, sheep and goat pastoralists. Raika herders have engaged in a long-standing but losing legal battle with the state for their continued seasonal access to this area. This situation contributes to the rapid decline of the camel which is an iconic part of Rajasthan’s desert identity, a major attraction for tourists and was declared state animal in 2014. The aims of the forest department to conserve wild animals and those of pastoralists and camel conservationists could easily be integrated into a more equitable governance system as is endorsed by Aichi Target 11 of the CBD Strategic Plan 2011–2020. However, deeply engrained concepts about nature being separate from (agri-)culture, as well as unequal power structures, stand in the way.

Old Ways in a Changing Space: The Issue of Camel Pastoralism in Dhofar

In the Arabian Peninsula, the Dhofar region is rich in camels. This national wealth has always been administered by traditional nomadic pastoral management, which must have evolved in Oman with the introduction of camels as domesticates in prehistoric times. In this region, camels have always depended on the free grazing system which is governed by tribal territoriality. Today, Dhofar is experiencing an extensive process of development. Land value has increased immensely, to the extent that it cannot be used for camel pastoralism. Furthermore, traditional camel management has always been directed to meet requirements of a subsistence economy. It has never managed to convert to the organization of political economy. This paper intends to raise the alarm that national wealth is endangered by certain challenges. The paper proposes certain ideas that might assist in safeguarding and investing in a national asset.

Islamic Culture and Christian Missions

The author describes first the various ecological patterns in the Arab world: Camel pastoralism, sheep and goat pastoralism, and agriculture, then the social structures prevalent in villages and in cities. The latter, though they contain a minority of the population, exercise a disproportionate influence, and missions ought to recognize this fact in their planning. The family is shown to be the dominant social unit, with males in firm control. Extended kinship bonds and cross-cutting moieties structure the larger society. In the arts, poetic development predominates, and the Christian message must be couched in adequate linguistic form. Religious life, though firmly based on Islam, contains many heterogeneous elements; monotheism is very strongly held, so that caution must be exercised in presenting the Christian doctrine of God so as not to exacerbate the prevalent impression that Christianity is polytheistic.