Ship of desert :Pride & Plight

Pushkar fair(Pushkar Mela) is here again and it is an annual 5 day camel and livestock fair held in the town Pushkar of Rajasthan state .it is celebrated for 5 days from the Karthik Ekadashi to Karthik Purnima( the full moon day )the 15th day of Karthik in Hindu calendar .This is among the world's largest cattle  fairs .This year it is organised from 25th Oct.to 4th Nov.
But any fair or festival of Rajasthan is incomplete without a camel .In Pushkar fair too camels rule the roost. The camels are washed spanky clean and adorned with various clothes  to form interesting patterns .Silver  bells and bangles around the hoofs Jingle when they walk past the golden sand dunes .
Another striking features of the Pushkar fair is camel competition , beautifully decorated Camels parade while competing in a beauty contest and the best bedecked camel wins the prize. More camel competition includes in  which a camel accommodates maximum number of people on its back wins the competition and other attractions are camel racing, neck shaking, camel dances etc.
The camel has been the lifeline of  the farmers of Rajasthan for long long years.The lifespan of a camel ranges from  40 to 50 years .Its height is from 2 to 3 metres. Its three breeds are popular which are called Bikaneri,Jaisalmeri and Sindhi.It can work  without water for a fortnight .Its major contribution in rural areas was in agriculture, transportation , In carrying water , Postal Services, camel mobile hospitals and mobile libraries ,but now it is rarely used. It can transport 500 kgs in a camel cart and up to 300 kgs on its back .Its contribution in safeguarding the border activities is well known in BSF .it is a very simple, strong and struggling animal in dry and hot weather situations of desert which  can be better described in some lines as under :-

बिन खाये पीये रह जाता,धोरों की यह सैर कराता,

नंगे पैर फिरता रहता,कभी जूतों की फरमाईश न करता,

इसे न अच्छे लगते बूट, मरूधर का गर्विला ऊंट।।

 The camel is depicted  lively in every sphere of activities in Rajasthan including its literature ,culture ,arts ,drawings, architecture and Fresco paintings etc. It had also been mentioned in romantic tales of  "Dhola Maru "and "Laila Majnu".
        But now with the advent of agriculture machinery in use in rural areas,the camel is being sidelined by farmers and so demand of camels is decreasing in this sector . The camel rearers are virtually crying because they are not able to sell animals they rear . which means that they wouldn't earn anything the entire year. This is because the demand for draught Camels has almost disappeared and selling camels for meat is controversial and dangerous. There has been a total change in last 25 years .The traditional knowledge of Raikas (camel rearers)which is essential for rearing Camels is no longer transferred from one generation to the next and new generation have started engaging in other menial works. The camel was totally ignored  by policy makers until it was declared the state animal in 2014. The idea of a state animal is great but futile unless coupled with supportive measures like development of camel product lines and marking out grazing fields. The law that was passed by legislative  assembly Rajasthan camel (prohibition of slaughter and regulation of temporary migration or export )bill 2015 has made the situation much worse .It prohibits taking  Camels out of Rajasthan. it also prohibits Castration of Camels and use of nose pegs.
Camels in Rajasthan currently number 3.2 lax as per 2012 livestock census but generate no more revenue for those who rear them. Camel milk which was considered therapeutic for diabetic patients among others can't be marketed, as it is not included under the food act and the Raikas(camel rearers) traditional revenue source providing camel as draught camel became obsolete long ago .
 Desperate breeders had turned to selling camels for meat but it became illegal after Rajasthan declared the camel its state animal in 2014 .Therefore camel dairy products which have tremendous potential need investment by government. Camels are being badly abused and slaughter and their numbers are dwindling by the day .The development of livestock sector has a significant beneficial impact in generating employment and reducing poverty in rural area but the 19th livestock census of 2012 had registered a sharp decline in camel population in comparison to 2007 census & it declined from 4.21 lax in 2007

to 3.25 lax in 2012 ,a drop of 22.79 percent .A little further down the years camel population had witnessed a phenomenal drop of  25.6% in 2003 during the period between 16th and 17th livestock census .The decline can be attributed to the three reasons- trading in camel meat mainly to Bangladesh and Gulf countries ,demographic transition and ecosystem disruptions along with climate change .Two main reasons of decline are proliferation of diseases and the disturbed male - female ratio of camels other than decrease in grazing and pasture land.
   It is, therefore ,high time for the  govt and camel rearers to organise festivals for the welfare of camels ,rather than for recreations alone and promote bazaars for camel products like  milk and milk sweetmeats,wool and devise new fields for its deployment to make it economically viable for its rearers. So that this powerful animal and statue of struggle may have bright future . Otherwise its future is gloomy.

A beautiful song on you tube may be seen showing the pride of camel with lyrics :-

"Bego tor oont gado "Meaning drive fast camel cart, i am already late.