Food of the mountains: Stinging nettle (Zatsod) | पहाड़ी खद्यः बिच्छू बूटी

Declining Pastoralism tradition in Ladakh: Implications for a fragile agroecology

The Ladakh region was once characterized by a strong agro-pastoral economy. Even 60-70 years ago, almost all households of Ladakh owned farmlands as well as several livestock such as yak, goat, cow, dzo, dzomo, and horses. The local populace in those times were dependent on subsistence agriculture with a diverse variety of crops including barley, Sowa, wheat, and black pea to name a few. Livestock rearing formed the backbone of the economy given the high demand for milk, wool, butter, and meat in the region. However, the system started changing post the Indo-China war. With the advent of defence forces post-1960s, the road network grew drastically. Once the war was over, Ladakh became better connected with the rest of India, as well as the global economy. Post 1974, better road access opened Ladakh for tourism and Leh slowly became a hotspot of tourism activity. Abundant crop fields and grazing pastures were increasingly usurped by buildings such as hotels, markets, and lodges...

when a stupa lights the middle path

Karma Sonam The present picture of Ladakh is a very different one from what the scenario was during my childhood. People used to follow a sustainable way of life which had components of local culture and practices ingrained in it. We had a traditional mud house in the lower slopes of our village in Rumtse, near a small stream, which is a tributary of the Indus. Rumtse lies on the Leh-Manali highway, at a distance of 79 kilometres from Leh. People relied on livestock rearing and agriculture to make a living. Cash crop like green peas was yet to replace barley. Most of us had a minimalistic lifestyle like sleeping on the floor inside our mud houses with gunny sacks spread on the floor to protect ourselves from the cold floor. In the agro-pastoral society that prevailed, people had few livestock as well along with the agricultural land, but there were herders who relied only on livestock rearing for their livelihoods. The livestock was a means of livelihood and ...

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