Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference

21st May is the World Day for Cultural Diversity. The United Nations established this day to enhance our understanding and acceptance of different cultures. Besides the cultural differences that exist between people, there are also variations in the way societies organise themselves, and in their shared conception of morality. Bridging the gap between cultures for peace and development will be vital for the long-term survival of humanity. Unesco in its Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity asserted - cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind, as biodiversity is for nature
Curated By: Madhu Kapparath
Published: May 21, 2018
Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference

Image by : Fayaz Kabli/Reuters

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  • Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference
  • Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference
  • Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference
  • Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference
  • Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference
  • Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference
  • Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference
  • Cultural diversity: Embracing the difference
Beneath the abduction, rape and killing of the eight-year-old Bakkarwal girl in Kathua, is a tale of a nomadic community being gradually forced by circumstances to give up their old ways and settle down. A nomadic tribe of Islamic faith, the Bakkarwals - a subject of Gujjar ethnicity -  embark on long journeys in summer with their livestock in the high altitude regions of Kashmir and Ladakh, and return to the plains of Jammu for the winter. Impacted acutely by curtailing of traditional migration routes by militants and security forces, coupled with a wish to avail education and health facilities, forced many among the tribe to settle down around Jammu plains. Despite a shared history, the locals - Kashmiri Muslims and the Jammu Hindus - perceive Bakkarwals as outsiders, leading to an atmosphere of open hostility and confrontation that manifested in the killing.