THE MARGINALIZATION OF PASTORAL COMMUNITIES COHABITING WITH THE ASIATIC LIONS: A CASE OF MALDHARIS LIVING INTHE PROTECTED AREAS OFGIR FOREST, INDIA

The wildlife conservation approach that insists on making forests free from human activity brings a drastic change for communities residing inside the forest risking their very existence. This ethnographic study of pastoralists, cohabitating with Asiatic lions inside the wildlife-protected area, explored the influence of restrictions imposed on their lives. Data was collected through participant observations, informal discussions, and in-depth interviews. Ordered and social arena maps as described in the situational analysis approach by Adele Clarke, were used for analysis. The social arenas of State, Temporary migration, and Market were found to shape the lives of the Maldharis. Their life after the declaration of the protected area was characterized by economic insecurity, lost identities, loss of networks, dignity, and honor. The multiple and multifold vulnerabilities of the marginalized Maldharis, who made forests their homes for generations, warrant an integrated approach towards conservation.