Rabari, Bharvad and Charan

• Rabari, also called the Rewari is an indigenous tribal caste of nomadic cattle and camel herders and shepherds that live throughout northwest India, primarily in the states of Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan.
• The Bharwad are tribals primarily engaged in herding livestock. They are a tribe in Gujarat
• The Charan, also called Gadhvi, is a small tribe in Gujarat and the name Charan is derived from the word ‘Char’ which means grazing. Members of the caste are considered to be divine by a large section of society.
• Gujarat government decided to form a five-member commission to identify the members of Rabari, Bharvad, and Charan communities, living in nesses (tiny, oval-shaped hutments made of mud) of Gir, Barda, and Alech areas of the state, who are eligible to get the benefits of Schedule Tribe (ST) status.
• The central government had, through a notification dated October 29, 1956, conferred ST status on people from Rabari, Bharvad, and Charan communities living in the nesses of Gir, Barda, and Alech in the state.