Many families who are still landless cannot even buy land because of the state’s policy
Article written by Himshi Singh & Prakash Bhandari published on 26/09/23 in Down To Earth
Developed with World Bank funding, NH 907A from Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, to Paonta Sahib is wide and smooth, unlike any typical mountain road.
It is almost a symbol of Himachal’s reputation as one of the progressive states in the country, often compared with states like Kerala on social development indices.
But as we hit the terai region of Paonta, the highway is surrounded by forests. We make our way through these to reach the deras (camps) where the Van Gujjars, a tribal community, reside.
Located within a 5 km radius of the highway is one such dera, Jammukhala. An untarred road through a dense sal forest leads us to Jammukhala, where traditionally adorned mud homes stand in the middle of wide agricultural fields and herds of buffaloes.
