Border residents rue near complete ruin of wool craft economy of higher Himalayan region

Border residents rue near complete ruin of wool craft economy of higher Himalayan region

B.D. Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Nov 11

While the Uttarakhand government is patting its’ back for the tremendous development done in the last 25 years of it’s existence, residents of border valleys of Vyans, Darma and Johar in Pithoragarh district are lamenting their prosperous past based on wool craft as according to them the entire economy based on Indo- Tibet trade and wool craft has been wiped out.

“The woollen craft economy of tribal regions of high Himalaya was ancient and spread to all families of tribal people as every male of family used to take part in Indo- Tibet trade from high Himalayan passes and every women used to weave woollen goods to be sold in lower valleys during winter months,” said Dr Lalit Pant, a retired principal and researcher on Indo- Tibet border trade.

The Indo-Tibet trade, that probably started from 7th century, was a trade of goods exchange, mainly salt, borax Tibetan sheep and wool from Tibet in exchange for tea, coffee, grains, sugar and factory manufactured goods besides cash in contemporary Indian currency.

Charls, A. Sherring, a British traveller who had gone to Tibet from Lipulekh route in the year 1905, quoted in his book, ‘Western Tibet and British border land” that, in the year 1905, a total of 67000 British pounds worth Indo-Tibet trade, including 26000 British pound worth from Lipulekh pass and 23000 worth British pound from Untadhi ra route in Johar region, took place. “Of counted in value of Indian rupees today, it value at worth Rs 25 crore today,” said Jeewan Singh Ronkali, President of Bharat Cheen Vyapar Samiti.

“The wool craft, the main cottage industry of Tribal people at Indo-China border region of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, was wiped out after 1962 Indo-China war, as the border people have migrated to lower valleys in search of other livelihood avenues and number of sheep herders decreased in these valleys since,” said Jeewan Singh Ronkali, President of Bharat Cheen Vyapar Samiti, the organisation formed by tribal traders after resumption of limited Indo-Tibet border trade from Lipulekh pass in 1992.

“Now the sheep herds are used for other purposes than wool or carrying goods on their backs to Tibet or vice Versa. They are now being used for meat or being sold for offering to local deities,” said Ronkali.

“We are extracting wool from them and throwing it in the rivers as there is no clients to purchase it as almost everyone from families of Vyans and most from Darma valley have left the traditional wool craft,” said Ronkali.

Ronkali said that once the fairs of Jauljibi, Bageshwar and Gochar used to organised only to sell the woollen goods manufactured by tribal families in high Himalayan region. “Now these festivals facilitate traders from plains region selling factory made goods and local woollen goods are rarely visible in these fairs which one used to sell local wool craft goods only,” said Ronkali.

“Besides shifting of profession by traditional woollen craftsmen of high Himalayan region, non-availability of long thread Tibetan wool produced by Tibetan sheep, is another reason for shrinking wool economy, as after 1962, not only Tibetan wool but also quality wool producing Tibetan sheep have ceased to be imported via border trade,” said the veteran Indo Tibet border traders who used to take part in this trade from past half a century.