BAADIES - THE WOODCUTTERS
A small cluster of houses of Baadies is situated at Jharnuin adjoining Zaildare-da-Bagh between Upla Maira and Chikla Maira amidst green scenic landscape, overlooking Chhoti Dhar, on the bank of seasonal nullah, which is named after this hamlet as Baadian-da-Naal. People of these baadies, as they say, originally belonged to a gipsy tribe whose main occupation was tree felling, sawing and blacksmithing. It is said that they came to this part of the then East Punjab from Chittorgarh area of Rajasthan.
A small cluster of houses of Baadies is situated at Jharnuin adjoining Zaildare-da-Bagh between Upla Maira and Chikla Maira amidst green scenic landscape, overlooking Chhoti Dhar, on the bank of seasonal nullah, which is named after this hamlet as Baadian-da-Naal. People of these baadies, as they say, originally belonged to a gipsy tribe whose main occupation was tree felling, sawing and blacksmithing. It is said that they came to this part of the then East Punjab from Chittorgarh area of Rajasthan.
They feel proud to have been directly associated with Maharana Pratap, who provided their logistical support to his army and worked as porters and carried out all kind of carpentry and blacksmithing works like making of quality swords, dhaals and handy knives, khanjjars and kirpaans for Ranas of Rajasthan both in peace and war.
After the demise of Maharana Pratap, a fistful of his lashkar and immediate followers, who were left behind, migrated to other parts of the country in search of livelihood. One such large family reached Ladori. On their arrival in the village, they had nothing to do but to carry on their ancestral work of tree felling. But due to lack of sufficient work, it became extremely difficult for them to make both ends meet and they had to live in utterly poor conditions in thatched dwellings for years, working for others.
With the passage of time, they were taken to cultivation on agricultural land on contract basis and rearing of domestic animals became their mainstay. A few of them became owners of some agricultural land under an act of the government while few others acquired it through deeds. Now they live in good houses fitted with water and electricity supply. Most of them also own various types of basic consumer household items like radio, television, mixer-grinders, refrigerator, fans, furniture, LCD and various other decorative household items. Most of them also own two wheelers. Children go to school while womenfolk work in fields.
Milkhi Ram Baadi, an energetic, ambitious and confident school drop-out guy of this community was elected Sarpanch of Ladori Khas Panchayat in early sixties. Though out of work now, he is still going strong and never misses an opportunity to play petty politics.
After the demise of Maharana Pratap, a fistful of his lashkar and immediate followers, who were left behind, migrated to other parts of the country in search of livelihood. One such large family reached Ladori. On their arrival in the village, they had nothing to do but to carry on their ancestral work of tree felling. But due to lack of sufficient work, it became extremely difficult for them to make both ends meet and they had to live in utterly poor conditions in thatched dwellings for years, working for others.
With the passage of time, they were taken to cultivation on agricultural land on contract basis and rearing of domestic animals became their mainstay. A few of them became owners of some agricultural land under an act of the government while few others acquired it through deeds. Now they live in good houses fitted with water and electricity supply. Most of them also own various types of basic consumer household items like radio, television, mixer-grinders, refrigerator, fans, furniture, LCD and various other decorative household items. Most of them also own two wheelers. Children go to school while womenfolk work in fields.
Milkhi Ram Baadi, an energetic, ambitious and confident school drop-out guy of this community was elected Sarpanch of Ladori Khas Panchayat in early sixties. Though out of work now, he is still going strong and never misses an opportunity to play petty politics.
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