A lock on identity: What happens when nomads are asked to stay

In Tomadiya Khatta village​​ in​ Nainital district, Uttarakhand,​ a home stands without a door. There are walls, triangle-shaped windows, and an open central area, but no door and no lock. For the Van Gujjars who live here, this is not an oversight but a way of life.

The Van Gujjars are a pastoral community, and their identity is deeply linked to the traditional practice of rearing Gojari buffaloes. Their name reflects this long and close connection with livestock and forest life. Most of the community lives in Uttarakhand, with smaller populations in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.​ In Uttarakhand, a significant part of the community lives in and around the buffer zones of Jim Corbett and Rajaji national parks. ​They migrate seasonally with their buffaloes in search of grass and water across the forests of the Himalayan foothills, where they have lived for generations.

“Roaming freely and grazing our animals is our identity. We have never had doors in our homes,” says Safi Bhai, 50. “Putting up a door would mean settling down.”

For generations, the doorless home was not just architecture but also a philosophy for Van Gujjars. A home without a door meant a life without barriers to movement. This traditional design can still be seen when families build pukka ​​houses with cement. But, things are beginning to change.

​​Ever since Jim Corbett’s boundaries tightened around us, we can no longer enter the forests freely,” says Asif Bhai, 45. “Many routes have changed, and life has changed along with them.” ​The establishment of Jim Corbett as a national park, along with other conservation measures, has restricted the Van Gujjars’ access to traditional grazing areas. ​​

​​​As a result, their​​ ​migration routes have been disrupted, ​Asif​ explains, forcing many families to settle in villages and take up agriculture or other sedentary livelihoods. ​​The younger generation is navigating this shift in their own way. Education, once peripheral to a pastoral life, is now increasingly valued. Some young community members are pursuing schooling and higher education. A significant number are studying ​​law. Mohammad Mir Hamza, founder of the Van Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sangathan, is one of them.​ “​Many villages, including mine, were illegally evicted by the Forest Department in 2017. One thing that became clear to us through the entire process and struggle is that it is important to understand the law well so we can present our side strongly. ​I decided to study law so that people’s traditional systems and rights can receive recognition, and communities can raise their voices and claim their rights.” ​​​​

​​​Mehrunissa, a 16-year-old from the community, is still weighing her options. “I love singing. If I get a chance, I definitely want to become a singer. I don’t know if we have a future in pastoral practice.”

These transformations reflect multiple, interconnected challenges that are making it difficult for the community to continue living according to their traditional identity and practices. With increasing forest restrictions, land uncertainties, and changing livelihoods, the remaining doorless homes—an important cultural symbol—may also disappear.

Yet, within Rajaji National Park, Nazakat Chechi, 30, still lives in a chaan—a thatched home inherited from his elders, where every piece of wood, every beam, has its own name. For Nazakat, building and maintaining the chaan is a matter of faith. And it still stands without doors, without windows. “Till today, we have not come into conflict with wildlife,” he says. “This is the biggest proof of our relationship with animals. We feel proud of our chaan. If one day we receive recognition under forest laws, it would be the most precious thing for us.”

Astha Chaudhary is a research scholar studying human–wildlife interactions in Uttar Pradesh. She is associated with the Coexistence Consortium.

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Know more: Learn more about Forest Rights Act and its impact on India’s forest-dwelling communities

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