Chopan Association, RTI Movement urge authorities to allow Chopans’ use of highland pastures

Appeals made to LG, CM and GOC Chinar Corps to safeguard livelihood of Chopan community

SRINAGAR: The J&K Chopan Welfare Association and the Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement have jointly appealed to the authorities, including the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and the GOC Chinar Corps Lt Gen Prashant Srivastava, to facilitate the seasonal migration of Chopan community members to highland pastures across Kashmir.

In a joint statement issued to Ziraat Times through Ghulam Mohiudin Chopan, Publicity Secretary of the J&K Chopan Welfare Association, the organisations said that the current restrictions on movement to upper meadows—particularly in the Pir Panjal mountain range—are severely affecting the livelihood of thousands of Chopans who depend on sheep rearing.

“Livelihood under threat”

“The farming activity has already begun in the plain areas, and rising temperatures make lowland conditions unsuitable for livestock, especially sheep. If Chopans are not allowed to migrate to pastures like Toshamaidan, Danidaar, Pehjan, Chaskaninar, Ashtar, Liddermud and Bargah, they will not be paid by the farmers who entrust them with their livestock. This will directly impact the income of a community already on the margins,” the statement said.

The association further emphasized that the Chopan community has always cooperated with the administration, including during the most sensitive security situations in past decades. It underscored that Chopans are landless and depend entirely on livestock herding for survival.

RTI Movement calls for humane approach

Chairman of the Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement, Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, also appealed to the authorities to take immediate and sympathetic action.

“This is not just a routine migration—this is the very foundation of livelihood for thousands of Chopan families. Most pastures in the lower altitudes have vanished due to urbanisation, and sheep cannot tolerate the heat or remain in paddy fields that are already in use,” Dr Bhat said.

Highlighting the economic model, he added, “For every sheep, farmers pay Rs 300 to 400 to Chopans. If migration is not allowed, these daily wage earners will lose their only seasonal income. What makes it worse is that this nomadic community is not even recognised as a Scheduled Tribe (ST), further deepening their marginalisation.”

Dr Bhat also appealed to GOC Chinar Corps Lt Gen Prashant Srivastava to consider the Chopans’ case sympathetically, citing similar reliefs provided earlier to the Bakerwal community.

Both the Chopan Welfare Association and RTI Movement have urged a coordinated intervention to enable the Chopans to reach their traditional grazing meadows in districts such as Shopian, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla.