Ahsaan Ali

Denied land, electricity and access to schools in life, the nomadic herders say that even in death they have to fight for space. After offering prayers at his relative’s grave in the only Bakerwal graveyard in Ganiwan, Ganderbal nearly 50 km away, 75-year old Muhammad Sadiq walks toward his tent high in the mountains (Photo - Ahsaan Ali, 101Reporters) Srinagar, Kashmir: “In Kashmir, every settled community has its own graveyard. But when we Bakerwals ask for land, the answer is always no.

By Ahsaan Ali Srinagar, Kashmir: “In Kashmir, every settled community has its own graveyard. But when we Bakerwals ask for land, the answer is always no. Electricity, roads, schools, hospitals—all of that is denied to us. And we don’t even have a place to rest after our deaths,” said Muhammad Haroon Phamda (45), who lives in Dooru, Anantnag. Bakerwals are a nomadic Muslim ethnic group in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and parts of Pakistan.

Loading metrics Open Access Peer-reviewed Research Article Citation: Ali A, Sonne C, Aslam M, Ali I, Hussain S, Qadir A, et al. (2025) First characterization and risk assessment of microplastics in the endangered Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor): Implications for conservation strategies. PLoS One 20(9): e0330253. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330253 Editor: Aarif K.