The Aghariya, or Agariya, is a schedule caste community title of Chunvalia Kolis who are salt farmers in Kutch district of Gujarat, India.
Historically, they owned the lands they worked on, but in 1973, the Gujarat government declared the Little Rann of Kutch a protected area under the Wild Ass Sanctuary.
This decision aimed to conserve the endangered Indian wild ass and its unique habitat but also resulted in the transfer of land ownership rights to the state.
The reclassification of the region as a wildlife sanctuary prohibited private land ownership and traditional activities considered disruptive to conservation efforts, thereby restricting Aghariya community of salt farming practices and exacerbating their economic and social vulnerabilities.
[4] The Aghariya community demanding recognition as farmers and an assurance that they have a legal right on Little Rann of Kutch land for salt farming to get the benefit like agriculture farmers such as money package and relief for natural calamities like flood.