The Vaghri, who in Maharashtra have taken the surname Waghri, originate from northeast Gujarat and southern Rajasthan. Most Waghri in Pune claim to have migrated within the past generation in search of employment, but because the last city-wide census of nomadic and denotified tribes was in 1931, no accurate estimate has been established.

The Waghri families of Pune earn their livelihoods in informal labour activities such as garment sales, restaurant service, and occasionally brewing “toddy beer” in-home from fermented toddy juice.   They are non-vegetarian people, but because of the high cost of meat, they commonly eat two meals per day of moong dal, urad, chavali and wheat products such as chapati.

While the Waghri are no longer considered a criminal tribe, the vast majority is still not receiving support from the government. Besides the state of Gujarat, the Waghri find themselves unlisted on every state list of Scheduled Tribes   and Other Backward Classes,  while completely absent nationwide from every state list of Scheduled Castes.   Thus, without birth or caste certificates, or any form of identification, they are an invisible population that receives little to no government support.

Compounding the difficulties posed by an unsupportive government system is the social stigma that still enshrouds the Waghri community years after the criminal tribe label has been removed. The Waghri caste is characterized as dangerous and untrustworthy, and allowing a Waghri into one’s home is considered unthinkable – the women who go door-to-door buying and selling clothes are believed to be merely ‘casing the joint’ for a return visit by their husbands, who are assumed to be formidable criminals. The materiality of their trade further degrades their social standing, as unwanted, disintegrating old clothing can be understood as jutha, or polluted leftovers, and dealing in waste is considered a poor reflection of one’s moral character.