Socio-Economic Scenario of Pahari Community: ...

Socio-Economic Scenario of Pahari Community: A Case Study of Rajouri District (Jammu and Kashmir)

Author Name : Dr. Mohd Aftab Ul Haq, Dr. Jaipal Singh

ABSTRACT

Pahari’s are one the largest ethnic group of Jammu and Kashmir UT. Pahari ethnic group, which constitute a social group of its own in the western part of Jammu region possess mainly tribal culture.  They constitute 8.18 percent (estimated) of the total population of the UT. Pahari community is distributed throughout the UT but their major pockets are found in the districts of Rajouri, Poonch, Baramullah, Kupwara and Anantnag.Social characteristics which include, caste, religion and housing type, availabilities of basic needs like water, electricity, road connectivity, health status and literacy level are considered to be as an important indicator which determines the social status of Pahari’s in study area. In this paper an attempt is made to study the socio- economic characteristics of Pahari’s of Rajouri district.

As these tribal communities were transhumant but situation is now completely different as most of them are sedentrized. Religion, caste, housing type, availability of basic needs like water, health status, electricity, road connectivity and literacy level are the important social characteristic which decide the social status of this community. On the other hand the parameter like monthly income, monthly expenditure, savings, status of agricultural land holding, live stock ownership, household assets etc are also included to know the economic status of Pahari community.