Meer Hamza

I was born in a jungle. Literally! I hail from the pastoral Van Gujjar hill tribe and was born on the outskirts of the Rajaji National park in Uttarakhand. I am now pursuing a Masters degree in Social Work, and I feel a deep affinity to nature. I hail from a nomadic tribe of people who migrate according to seasons and rear milch animals, selling milk for a living. For over three years now, I have been working actively as a social worker for my Van Gujjar community. I help them access basic education, teach them how to retain their culture and most importantly know their rights. I created a youth group, and am educating them about the rights of forest dwelling communities, citizenship laws, conservation and security issues. I am also researching traditional forest produce, so I can enable my community to market them effectively while retaining the balance of nature.