Until the beginning of the 8th century CE, Baltistan was a country inhabited by the Indo-European Shin tribe. This was a time when the superpowers of the region were China and Tibet, both vying for supremacy in High Asia. Only shortly before, the Chinese had ousted the Tibetans from what is now the Chinese province of Xinjiang. But then the T’ang Dynasty was briefly interrupted by the New Zhou Dynasty (690-705) and Chinese imperial aspirations were laid low for the time being. Emboldened by the situation, the Tibetans began to expand westward. They annexed Ladakh and following the Sindhu River reached Baltistan. For the next five decades this country remained under their firm control. Intermarriages between the new comers and the original tribes were common to such an extent in the next fifty years that there arose a race of a fine mix of Aryan and Tibetan blood — the current people of Baltistan. It was for this reason that an anthropologist of the mid-twentieth century called Baltistan ‘a living anthropological museum’. The original Shina, the language of the Shins that sounds so very like Kashmiri and Punjabi, was almost completely swamped out of existence by Tibetan. Modern Balti, spoken over most of Baltistan, is therefore an archaic form of Tibetan. Shina continues to hold out in pockets across the country, however. Aside: until some years ago Balti was under threat. Then one proud Balti — and he has my deepest gratitude — Hussain Singghe, worked very hard to revive the old Tibetan script. It is now coming back into vogue and signs in the streets of Skardu and Khaplu are frequently written in the old script. Not content with holding Baltistan alone, the Tibetans expanded westward. They took Gilgit and advancing along the Ghizer River, went up the Yasin valley. The head of this valley, north of the little village of Darkot, is blocked by a huge mass of snowy mountains. In their midst there hangs a glacier among several others which can be traversed due north to reach what we now know as Upper Chitral. The icy grip of the Darkot Glacier gives way in the north to an area that suddenly reminds one of the title Bam-e-Dunya — Roof of the World — that the high Pamirs are known by. Here on the fringe of the Pamirs, the landscape consists of rolling downs, lakes and peaks which, after the jagged towering crags of the Yasin valley, seem deceptively low giving one the impression of being on the roof. The rock wall to the north is cleaved by a saddle that has for a very long time been known as the Broghal Pass. It was to this country that the Tibetans came by way of Yasin and Darkot. Then across the 3,800-metres-high saddle of Broghal, they reached Wakhan, the home of Tajik and Kirghiz herdsmen. Here in the bleak and wind-scoured landscape where the Oxus River is but a piddling stream, the Tibetans established a large garrison to stake out their claim to the land. Time went by and far away in the east, China was once again peaceful under the brilliant new T’ang king Xuanzong. Turkestan was in control and the Chinese knew that their adversaries, the Tibetans, had annexed Baltistan and maintained a garrison in the high Pamirs. If they were permitted to remain in this region, the hardy warriors of the Tibetan highlands were very likely to attempt to sneak into Turkestan by, in a manner of speaking, the back door. That was not acceptable. And so in the winter of 746-747 the capital of Chang’an (Xian on modern maps) saw a flurry of meetings between the emperor and one of his most able generals, Kao Hsin-Chih. Interestingly, the general was not Chinese but Korean. If the western border was to be secured, the Tibetans, it was resolved, needed to be routed from their Wakhan strongholds. General Kao, so the emperor ordained, was to lead a cavalry division, ten thousand strong, mounted to the man, into the vast tundra of the Pamirs to overthrow the Tibetans. And as the snows of winter gave way to the verdure of spring in the year 747, the emperor’s army gathered under the watchful eye of General Kao Hsin-Chih in the fortress of Chang’an.

Source (Tribune)Everest conqueror Hassan Sadpara walked out of the terminal at Benazir Bhutto International Airport to a hero’s welcome on Friday evening.

Sadpara, the second Pakistani to succeed in hoisting a Pakistani flag at the world highest peak, was warmly received by Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, students, admirers, Alpine Club officials, Pakistan Association of Tour Operators, Pakistani Adventure Club and politicians from G-B.

“It was my cherished dream to hoist the Pakistani flag at the world’s highest peak. Thank God it was fulfilled with dignity,” Sadpara told The Express Tribune amid a drone of supportive slogans and echoing folk music. He was taken to G-B House in a huge procession. There, a reception was thrown in his honour and people paid rich tributes to him.

Hassan Sadpara hails from the little Sadpara village near Skardu in Baltistan, and became the second Pakistani to scale Mount Everest on May 11. Veteran mountaineer Nazir Sabir was the first Pakistani to climb Everest in 2000.

The expedition was launched by the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) and the team reached Nepal on March 30. Hassan already held the proud distinction of having scaled all five peaks of over 8,000 metres in Pakistan. He climbed Nanga Parbat (8,125metres) in 1999, K2 (8,611 metres) in 2004, Gasherbrum-I (8,068 metres) and Gasherbrum-II (8,035 metres) in 2006 and Broad Peak (8,048 metres) in 2007. Now he has added another feather in his cap by ascending the 8,848 metre high Mount Everest and hoisting the national flag and banner of the Alpine Club of Pakistan at its summit.

Speaking to media at the airport, Hassan said that he was honoured by the love and prayers of the nation. “I am determined to use my potential and skills to teach mountaineering to the youth.” He said that government should facilitate the establishment of a mountaineering institute in G-B.

G-B Chief Minister Mehdi Shah said that Hassan Sadpara belongs to G-B and Pakistan and he should be treated like a national hero.

He added that funds and plans for launching of mountaineering school in Skardu are ready and soon the youth of Pakistan will have a facility to learn modern mountaineering.

Nazir Sabir, the only other Pakistani to have conquered Everest, congratulated him. “Sadpara really proved his potential by scaling the world’s highest peak without oxygen,” the world famous mountaineer said, while congratulating him warmly.

A traditional Balti musical event was also arranged on the occasion, where young performers presented traditional songs and dances.

Author : Ghulam Mehdi
From : Leh (Ladakh)
Occupation : Scholar
Email: mehdi10293@yahoomail.com

The article highlights a number of issues that have received attention during my one year service in district Kargil. Kargil carved out of the erstwhile district Ladakh, came into existence in July 1979. The name `Kargil’ came into prominence sometime between 14th and 16th century A D. Ten years ago, when armed intruders tried to run over Kargil, nobody knew about this area. But the war has changed this place forever. The Kargil of today is a study in transformation. After the Kargil War of 1999, a massive development drive was undertaken. The push was for economic growth, basic education, infrastructure development, tourism and telecommunications. It was done on a war footing, and the signs are in ample evidence. Kargil District has two assembly constituencies, Zanskar and Kargil. Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil was commissioned in July 2003 in the district. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council has 30 Councillors out of which 26 Councillors are elected while the remaining 4 are nominated. The district presents a composite culture of Balti, Ladakhi, Purki, Dardi, Zanskari and Shina cultures. Irrespective of ethnic identities, all speak Purki and Balti language very well.

The backwardness and underdevelopment of the Kargil as compare to Leh have attention of not only the policy makers, but all those who are keenly interested in the all-round development of the area. It is a matter of concern that even after establishment of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (Kargil), there is still no sanitation facilities, proper drainage, better communication, provision for women participation in election and no measure to check corruption. Efforts should be made by the existing government under the leadership of Shri Kacho Ahmed Ali Khan (Chief Executive Councillor) for the improvement of the Kargil. In this regard, the youths who are the future of Kargil have a vital role to play, particularly newly selected seven KAS officers from the district and for this purpose we expecting all of them should serve in the district. The state governments and local government should come forward with new and useful schemes for the reconstruction and development of Modern Kargil because; most of the villagers are still engaged in agricultural operations without knowledge of the scientific techniques to increase productivity. As, Kargil is favourable for crop growing soil as compare to Leh but, due to absence of Field Research Institute (like, FRL In Leh) with the result lack of productivity and it leads to shortage of Vegetables and fodder for livestock. To ensure cultivation of vegetables during off-season winter months, when temperature dips to -20 degree poly green houses have been set up in the district. The successful performance of these poly-green houses have shown wide acceptance at the farming levels. So, the educated youth particularly from agriculture and horticulture field should guide and instruct them in the right direction.

If LAHDC (Kargil) at local level come up with new schemes and programmes emphasis on education and employment for youths and income opportunities for shopkeepers and hotel owners and for this purpose suggestion for shifting main market of Kargil from town to Kurbathang or some other area, due to this new town come up with a Provision for separate whole sale market, vegetable market, butcher market, jewellery market, cloths market and books market etc. For all these provision should be made in the budget of ‘District Development Board’ and some separate budget for infrastructure development in government offices with the take care of facilities like, drinking water, road connectivity, electricity and health care. In this regard New Council Secretrate is already under construction and there is also possibility of shifting other offices from Baru to near council secretrate. To reach out people in council secretrate from different villages’ need to start bus service with the introduction of New Mini Buses and also the old bus stop is immediately shifting from main town to some 15 km distance and suggestion for converting old bus stand into Public Park. For realising all these objectives, suggestion for preparing Kargil Vision Document with the help of some expert from TATA Institute Mumbai, which have set goals for short term development and long term project.

As far as previous development is concern district profile reflect that out of 127 villages in the district, 97 have been connected so far with link roads. In the 8th Five Year Plan, 201 schemes were targeted to be achieved at an estimated cost of Rs 29.81 crores which is very less than the district budget of Leh.

In Kargil clergy continues to shape the destiny of people. The spectacular rise of the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT), a voluntary organization comprising mostly youth had created an upheaval of sorts for the socio-political order of the desolate and impoverished district. It also became active in the local politics. As Tashi Morup (Freelance Journalist) write in his article that the two powerful religious factions – Islamia School and the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT), divided over the local issues, have sustained their overwhelming clout over society through politics in playing out the local democracy .As a measure to strengthen the unity of different political parties for smooth development of the area, needs political education throughout district, otherwise the conflict between Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) and Islamia School leads to division of the society. The state Government recently announces reorganisation of Panchayat Raj Institution and for this purpose election is going to held in every district of the state on non-party base. In terms of function, power and finance of PRI, government is going to amendment in PRI and after this amendment in act of J&K PRI; a meaningful and effective system comes up, which is useful for over all development of the district Kargil.

Till now Kargil politician are the bridge between development and self-interest. They don’t know that the politicians are the voice of people and intermediator between the government and people. They are elected because, familiar with the people, language, problems and their immediate environment. They are not only being representatives of people but are also imbibing his qualities to be efficient leader in future. As Kargil starts develop since past 5 years, the development is concentrate to Kargil town only, but there is no growth at all in villages over the period. Due to fewer funds from state as well as centre government, there is also no growth in agriculture sector, floriculture sector, horticulture sector, sericulture sector, technological sector and also what about various other sub sectors? If in district Kargil politician committed to develop different sectors other than self-sector? No one can raise question in front of public. Most of the villages in Kargil are still under developed, in the sense there are very few opportunities for economically poor people who live in the villages. If people living in villages get opportunities to improve their prospect, Kargil will certainly become a developed town like district Leh.

Submit your Article

Author : Ghulam Mehdi
From : Leh (Ladakh) India
Occupation : Scholar
Cell No. -
Email: mehdi10293@yahoomail.com

With reference to the two day session of LAHDC (Leh), in this session several issues were raised by the opposition party related to development in LADAKH and on the other hand they show dis satisfactory over the performance of LUTF, the reason may be preparation for the coming elections. In this session some members from the opposition party raised question on the performance of Mr. Khan who is Executive Councilor Minority Affair for his alleged involvement in diverting fund for the promotion and preservation of Balti culture and also raised question that he is involved in swindling funds in the name of Skarchen Association.

I am along with hundreds of other people from Nobra being voluntary members of the Skarchen Organization; never accept such allegation against our Organization.

There is strong reason for this, that Skarchen is not with Ghulam Hussian alone, who is now targeted by the opposition party, because he is actively participate in previous election and voluntarily work for the entire region. There is a person who is associated with Skarchen Organization, some people from Turtuk Village itself. So whatever allegation they have put before the Hill Council is baseless and if some funds are released for the preservation and promotion of Balti culture and tradition. What’s wrong with that, every community part of LAHDC and Baltis are not outsider, if they think so that means they question on their nationality and they are against the progress of the entire Muslim community. Skarchen did lot for the development Turtuk region in particular and entire Nobra valley in general, we never forget the achievement of the organization, no doubt there is some interest behind the work but people aware of its consequences and shortfall.

Same what SECMOL did for Ladakh, Skarchen for Nobra valley, the down fall of the SECMOL is also due to strong opposition from political parties and involvement of politics in the Organization, the conflict of politician with NGO worker is not new in Ladakh.

The writer who is scholar and social activist belongs to Balti Community.

Submit your Article