Photo: LPPS archives
Photo: Ilse Köhler-Rollefson
l Biocultural community protocols: tools for securing the assets of livestock keepers 113
Raika protesting for their grazing rights, Rajasthan.
Bhanwarlal Raika and his camel herd entering
Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
Process
their doorsteps, explaining the rationale for
a BCP and learning about the problems
and constraints faced by the Raika, especially regarding grazing rights in a nearby
wildlife sanctuary. Although Raika women
generally do not interact with outsiders,
and were not involved in these discussions,
LPPS are aware that women are active
behind the scenes and have some power,
usually handling most money matters.
The information was compiled into a
draft document in English. This was
shared and discussed with community
elders and revised accordingly. LPPS translated and printed the document in Hindi,
sharing it widely with the community, local
government officials, and internationally.
In September 2009, a Raika female leader
Photo: Ilse Köhler-Rollefson
The Raika BCP is thought to be the first
BCP ever completed by livestock keepers. It
was developed with the support of international NGO Natural Justice and Lokhit
Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS), a local
NGO that has been working with the
community for over 15 years to document
traditional knowledge about livestock
keeping and genetic resources. So a large
amount of written documentation was
already available.
In May 2009, two Natural Justice
representatives – who had suggested the
idea of establishing a BCP – travelled to the
Raika area and based themselves at LPPS
headquarters. With LPPS staff, they met
with a cross-section of the community at
Raika leading his sheep and goats to grazing in the contested Kumbalgarh Sanctuary.