With flowers in their hair, they show the Army the way

Today a part of their land has been taken away to deploy guns and settle the units participating in the operations to recover Jubar, Kukarthan and other ridge lines occupied by the intruders. The villagers have not only helped the Army by giving up their land but also joined the operations by enlisting as regular soldiers in the Ladakh Scouts. Others areacting as guides, showing the advancing infantry columns the routes along the river and several rivulets to climb the ridge lines.

“These people are basically shepherds and know their way around the mountains. They will certainly get compensation for their land which we have taken but they are also getting money for showing us the routes in the mountains,” an officer posted in the Yaldor-Batalik sector said.

Though not very tall, the fair-skinned, high cheek-boned youth of the community are also acting as porters, carrying ammunition and food supplies for the soldiers at the forward posts. “We are unemployed now. Due to excessive shelling and Army movements, our fields will give us no yield this year. Business in sheep is also not doing too well. So the Army is a very good option,” says Stanzin, a resident of Bima village.

Followers of Buddhism, these people do not worship fire and most have not even heard of the Vedas. “Earlier we used to make money from tourism. As we are Aryans, a number ofGerman tourists interact with us, take pictures and pay us. But last year not many got permission to come here, and this year, not a single person has come,” says Chetan Gurmet, a village elder.

“The interior is a military area and tourists can come only till Bima village. For this too they need permission both from the Army and the District Collector in Leh,” an Army officer posted here explains. No tourists are permitted beyond Bima into the Batalik area which is very close to the Line of Control (LoC).

The Army says that it is trying to do its bit for these people. “We pay them, share our rations with them and give them medical assistance free of cost,” says an officer.

While some of the men work with the Public Works Department and others are employed by the Army Medical Corps as stretcher bearers, most youngsters are now searching for greener pastures.

“The youth are now not too keen on marrying within the community. They go to Leh and Kargil, work there and marry outside too. But we arevery keen that they get regular jobs with either the Army or the state administration,” says octogenarian Tshring Chupal.

Their women work in the fields with them or help graze cattle. The older generation is by and large uneducated but the children are now being sent to school.