DHRUVA JAISHANKAR
Over the concluding year, together with for the initiatory of all fourth dimension inward its thousand-year history, the hamlet of Sumda Chun inward Ladakh gained access to a motorable road. Only a handful of families inhabit this tiny hamlet, nestled at an height of almost 4,000 meters on a tributary of the azure Zanskar River. Thanks to the novel motorway, the about lx kilometre journeying to the Ladakhi majuscule of Leh — which would bring before begun with a two-hour trek to the nearest paved highway — is straight off exactly a 90-minute drive. The hamlet has already begun to reap the fruits of this novel development, sometimes quite literally. Watermelons, i time a rare delicacy that had to survive transported yesteryear pack animals across high-altitude desert terrain, are straight off proudly served to guests. But with the arrival of modern comforts that include route access together with reliable solar power, Sumda Chun too faces novel challenges.
Modernity comes at a price: Along with connectivity, highways bring brought threats to Ladakh's traditional lifestyle. (Photo: Author) The local monastery (gompa) dates from betwixt the 11th together with 14th centuries together with boasts gorgeous clay together with wooden sculptures together with painted murals. For fine art historians who specialise inward the Himalayan region, the specimens are unique together with thus invaluable. Despite its having been listed alongside the most endangered sites yesteryear the World Monument Fund, the monastery’s treasures bring long caught the eyes of antiquarians together with fine art thieves — the wooden ceiling inward i sleeping room reveals a gaping hole, from which a rare prototype had been plundered most 25 years ago.
With greater accessibility, locals are concerned most greater threats of this form to their cultural heritage.
Land of High Passes
Ladakh, the sparsely populated percentage of Jammu & Kashmir, is less than a 2 hr flying from Delhi — but it feels similar one-half a footing away. Its blueish skies together with stark landscape laid it apart, every bit good every bit its distinct culture. For travellers, though, it is the high height — 3,500 meters upon landing inward Leh yesteryear aeroplane — that requires the most getting used to.
Despite its little population of less than 3 lakh people, the strategic importance of Ladakh for Republic of Republic of India cannot survive underestimated.
To its eastward lies territory occupied yesteryear China, including the desolate Aksai Chin. The Indian together with Chinese militaries regularly patrol along the disputed boundary, with stand-offs sometimes resulting inward fisticuffs.
To the westward lies terra firma claimed together with contested yesteryear Pakistan, including Kargil together with the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battleground, beyond which lies Islamic Republic of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). The Indian armed services consequently boast a sizeable presence inward Ladakh, together with state of war machine trucks regularly rumble over the region’s roads, duly maintained yesteryear the Border Road Organisation.
For fine art historians, statues such every bit this one, from Sumda Chun monastery, are invaluable. (Photo: Author) But every bit the people of Sumda Chun are discovering, modernity — piece oft welcome — is outset to challenge Ladakh’s traditions inward diverse ways. This contradiction affects almost every human face of day-to-day life, including governance.
Ladakhis flora solely a fraction of the population of Jammu together with Kashmir, together with oft complain of fail yesteryear province authorities — many back upwards the creation of a carve upwards union territory that could survive administered conduct from New Delhi, a wishing complicated yesteryear Article 370 of the Constitution that determined the terms of Jammu together with Kashmir’s accession.
In 1995, a compromise of sorts was reached, with the creation of an Autonomous Hill Development Council inward a bid to improve conduct self-governance.
Questions of economical evolution are exactly every bit fraught. The lack of higher educational together with occupation opportunities has required some Ladakhis to motion to other parts of India, including Delhi, Punjab, together with parts of South India, which they casually refer to every bit “the plains” or, simply, “India.”
In the repose of the country, Ladakhis oft human face upwards racism together with full general ignorance: Not long ago, a union government minister of the Indian regime innocently inquired if Ladakhis required visas to go to the repose of the country.
Because formal occupation opportunities stay limited, the sizeable presence of the Indian armed forces is vital. The Army is yesteryear some distance the largest contributor to Ladakh’s economy. It remains pop alongside many Ladakhis, non merely for its maintenance of roads together with security, but for its provision of both subsidised goods together with — to a greater extent than importantly — jobs.
The Army is the largest contributor to Ladakh’s economy, though tourism is catching up. (Photos: Author) Tourism is the second-largest contributor to the economy. In 1974, unusual tourists began to catch Ladakh for the initiatory of all time, but their numbers bring straight off been surpassed yesteryear domestic travellers, drawn to the region’s spectacular vistas, opportunity sports together with monasteries.
By contrast, agriculture remains underdeveloped, together with dependent acre to the availability of Ladakh’s scarce H2O resources. Agricultural processing, distribution together with marketing too stay modest, to the signal that some Leh merchants fifty-fifty root higher-quality packaged apricots — a fruit widely grown on local farms — from Pakistan. At the same time, the national together with international need for Ladakh-grown products, such every bit ocean buckthorn, which has larn pop for nutritional together with cosmetic purposes, has significantly increased.
Old Monks, New Problems
But beyond politics together with economical development, it is inward the social together with cultural realm where the clash of modernity together with tradition inward Ladakh is becoming most pronounced.
Monks at Gotsang, to a higher house Hemis Monastery. (Photo: Author) Contrary to pop perceptions inward the repose of Republic of Republic of India together with overseas, Ladakh is non ‘little Tibet,’ although at that topographic point is pregnant cultural overlap. Ladakhis stay proud of their distinct identity, including their language, wearing clothing together with fine art forms. Religion remains an of import role of the indigenous social fabric. Among Buddhists, who flora the majority, iv sects retain a presence inward Ladakh: the Drukpa (the largest sect, every bit whose invitee I visited), the Gelugpa (whose most influential figure is the Dalai Lama), the Sakya together with the Drikung Kagyu. These sects, together with their many monasteries, yet play of import roles inward the day-to-day customs of many Ladakhis, including festivals, union rites, traditional medicine, pedagogy together with local dispute resolution.
In add-on to Buddhists, Muslims flora a minority, generally Shi’a with a smaller position out of Sunnis. As inward other parts of India, tensions betwixt religious groups are discernible, peculiarly on matters concerning conversions together with intermarriage
Ladakh is saltation to larn to a greater extent than exposed to the exterior footing with the influx of higher numbers of tourists together with amend connectivity — including yesteryear air together with route — with the repose of India.
But inward a multifariousness of ways, the people of this sheltered percentage are already confronting contradictory pressures. On the i hand, they seek the benefits of a modern world, from occupation together with advanced agricultural techniques to amend pedagogy together with healthcare. On the other hand, many desire to save their traditional ways of life, from village-level governance to religious customs together with traditional water-sharing mechanisms. The people of Ladakh — including the villagers of Sumda Chun — human face a challenge inward preserving a careful residue betwixt these competing forces.
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