The reluctant nomads of Afghanistan
Continuing my research into indigenous people I found this sad story about a section of Afghan society shunned to the outside…
The Kuchi’s have never had a voice in Afghanistan – we’ve been locked out of society”- Ashraf Ahmadzi
Drought, modernization, land wars- the Kuchi nomads of Afghanistan are living at the peril of a harsh environmental and political landscape.
Until the early 80’s the Kuchi population was estimated at 2.5 million- now it’s almost halved.
Kuchis are Afghan Pashtun nomads who live in tents and keep mostly sheep and goats. The produce of these animals is sold or exchanged for grains, vegetables and fruit.
They have always been the peaceful face of Afghanistan with their camel and donkey caravans moving through the mountains, women dressed in crimson colours, wearing silver and lapis lazuli jewellery- their haunting songs of the lute…
But life isn’t all rosy.
Largely rejected by the rest of the Afghan population, who see them as opportunist herders and traders, the Kuchi are also supporters of the Taliban which makes them unpopular.
Until 2001 the Taliban provided them with protection – they looted and torched Hazara, Uzbek and Tajik communities and opened the land for the Kuchis, since the fall of the Taliban the Kuchis have been barred from Afghanistan’s northern and central regions.
Warlords guard the mountain passes that are the only routes to pastures the kuchis claim were left to them in the late 1800’s by King Abdul Rahman.
Once happy, free-spirited nomads they have now been reduced to destitute farmers, casual labourers and beggars…
Amanda
