This chapter delves into the community dynamics of the Nishad in rural Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh. The extensive ethnographic research in a village near the Yamuna River of Firozabad District of Uttar Pradesh unveils their challenges amid environmental degradation, emphasizing the historical significance of the Yamuna River for their livelihoods. In addition to causing economic instability, the decline of traditional livelihood sources has disrupted the intergenerational transmission of skills and cultural knowledge associated with the riverine ecosystem. As the community’s youth increasingly migrate seasonally for unskilled daily wage labour, a deep disconnect emerges between the community and the ecological and cultural rhythms historically sustaining them. As a result, the socio-economic and political status, which was already very low due to the community’s social position in the Varna hierarchy, has been exacerbated further as the British imposed the stigma of the criminal on the community by classifying the community as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribe Act 1871 and later as habitual criminals post-independence. The loss of their traditional livelihoods necessitated a switch to agriculture, which does not provide the community’s fundamental needs, and the rising expenses of agricultural output have imposed an extra financial burden. As a result, community members struggle to obtain basic necessities such as housing, education, and healthcare, forcing many to migrate for menial jobs. The loss of livelihood robs the Nishads of their human dignity, which is not only human rights but also constitutional. This research sheds light on the Nishad community’s vulnerability in the neoliberal economy of India. Generational poverty and lack of infrastructure severely impede their quest for a respectable life. These hardships lead to marginalization, pushing them towards migration, exacerbating socio-economic disparities, and compromising their well-being.