Small Himalayan tribe will vote for ‘whoever gives food’ in Uttarakhand

Pithoragarh: The tiny Van Rawat tribe with a population of a few thousand isn't being wooed by any political party . That's because the community , regarded as Uttarakhand's smallest Himalayan tribe, has just about 300-odd voters, mainly at Dharchula and Didihat of Pithoragarh district.

Many in the community have no education and are extremely poor. Till a decade ago, they lived in mountain caves. Only recently have many settled near towns, work as labourers and wood-gatherers.

“No neta has ever come to us seeking votes. But, we know that voting will happen soon. Most of us will vote for whoever gives us food and provisions,“ says Parvati, a Van Rawat firewood seller at the Jauljibi market near Dharchula. Vimla, who accompanies Parvati to the market, agrees: “Most of us barely earn Rs 80 or 100 a day. That's why whoever gives us food or money we go with him. “The origins of this mountain tribe are hazy. Dehradun-based anthropologist Lokesh Ohri says: “Folklore has it that the Van Rawats descend from a king who ruled at Askot near Pithoragarh. The belief is that a brother of the king was exiled and went to live in a cave. His descendants became the Van Rawats. They consider themselves Rajputs. Those who've interacted with them say they often insist on being ad dressed respectfully in line with their lineage.“


Because they mainly belong to the remote jungles, the tribe hasn't had access to education and jobs. Renu Thakur, convener of the NGO Arpan, says some Van Rawats now live in pucca houses but still don't have a permanent source of income. “They get MNREGA work, are usually employed by the Border Roads Organisation or are employed as farmhands. Since their numbers are so tiny , politicians ignore them.“

Gagan Singh Rajwar, a tribe member, won two assembly elections in 2002 and 2007, after Dharchula was made a reserved seat. Rajwar, one of the few Van Rawats who went to school, acknowledges that the community “hasn't been able to speak up for itself. Most of our people are tied up trying to make ends meet.“