Open Access Research Article

IMPACT OF ARTICLE 370 ABROGATION ON THE LIVELIHOODS OF THE BAKARWAL TRIBE: A LEGAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

Author(s):
VEER VIKRANT SINGH
Journal IJLRA
ISSN 2582-6433
Access Open Access
Volume 3
Issue 6

Abstract

Abstract

The constitutional changes associated with the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the subsequent reorganisation of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir have altered the legal and institutional environment within which tribal communities pursue their livelihoods. The Bakarwals, a semi-nomadic pastoral Scheduled Tribe, have historically depended upon livestock rearing, seasonal migration, access to pastures and forest resources, and supplementary agricultural and trading activities. Their economic security is therefore closely connected with mobility, access to common and grazing resources, and the continuity of customary practices.
This paper examines the livelihood implications of the post-2019 legal and policy transition for the Bakarwal community. It focuses on land rights and land use, grazing routes and transhumance, pastoral production, access to government programmes, forest rights, market access, and emerging opportunities associated with infrastructure, tourism and economic development. Rather than treating the abrogation of Article 370 as a single and self-executing cause of every socio-economic change, the paper situates the issue within the broader sequence of constitutional, legislative, administrative, development changes that followed 2019.
The analysis indicates that the central concern is not simply formal land ownership, but the continued ability of a mobile pastoral community to access and use the spatially distributed resources on which its livelihood depends. At the same time, the post-2019 framework also creates avenues for greater integration into welfare, education, financial, market and development programmes. The paper therefore argues for a livelihood-sensitive approach that recognises the distinct requirements of a transhumant community while ensuring equitable access to development opportunities, legal protections, public services and institutional participation.

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Author Details

Authors: VEER VIKRANT SINGH
Registration ID: 1013219 | Published Paper ID: IJLRA13219
Year: Sep-2026 | Volume: 3 | Issue: 6
Approved ISSN: 2582-6433 | Country: Delhi, India
Page No.: 1531-1546

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International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis

  • AbbreviationIJLRA
  • ISSN2582-6433
  • AccessOpen Access
  • LicenseCC 4.0

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