Pitthoragarh, June 1
With the start of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from today, preparations for the Indo-China border trade across the 16,500 ft high Lepulekh Pass in Pitthoragarh district have also been completed.

Indian traders on their way to Taklakot Mandi in Tibet.

Navneet Pandey, SDM, Dharchula subdivision, has been designated trade officer. According to Pitthoragarh district magistrate PS Gusain, an officer has been sent to the union commerce ministry to get additional passes as 250 unused ones from last year are still with the district administration.

The Indo-Tibetan border trade that has been the backbone of economy in Uttarakhand hills, was disrupted 
following the Indo-China conflict in 1962.

It was again resumed in 1992 through Lipulekh Pass in Pitthoragarh. Hundreds of Indian traders cross the pass with horses carrying goods, as did their ancestors, to the Taklakot trade mart in Tibet while Tibetan traders come to Gunji on the Indian side with their merchandise.

In the olden times, trading communities in the valleys of Niti, Mana, Johar, Darma, Beas and Chaudans in Uttarakhand would collect foodgrain from the lower valleys of Kumoan and Garhwal hills and trade this with Tibetan salt, wool, pashmina and borax at Tibetan marts.

The trade which was in practice for hundreds of years was known to Europeans only in 1624 when Antonio De’Andrade, a Jesuit missionary, crossed into Tibet via the Niti Pass.

EK Pawn wrote in his settlement report in 1896 that the Tibetan trade offered employment to thousands of people in sterile parts of the Himalayas and provided a market for their produce.

The Himalayan region has more then 50 villages of the tribal Bhotiya community who were totally depended on the cross-border trade that dates back to 2,000 years. Edwin T. Atkinsion, the British administrator of these border districts during the second part of the 19th century, traced its existence to third century BC.

Kumaon historian MP Joshi confirmed its existence in 6th century AD. After the 1962 conflict, the economy of the Bhotias, who were permanent residents of the higher Himalayan valleys, was ruined after the trade was discontinued.

The Bhotia people were then forced to descend from the high Himalayan valleys and re-adopt themselves to a new economy and culture.

The Indo-Tibetan trade of this era was entirely based on barter. Traders would pick-up jaggery and cotton from the Haldwani, Kashipur and Kotdwar markets in exchange for the Tibetan wool and livestock that at times fetched them baffling profit.

Bhotia traders braved high Himalayan snowstorms to cross into Tibet at more than 16,000 ft Lipu-lekh, Darma, Limpia Dhura, Kungri-Bingri, Untadhura, Jayanti, Mana and Niti passes.

The Tibetan trade not only generated local employment for tribal people in transportation and sub-trading, but also sustained local agriculture, animal husbandry and wool-based cottage industries with the goods imported from Tibet.

The inclement climate and the rugged terrains of the high Himalayas gave the Bhotia people a monopoly over business as it was impossible for an outsider to survive in such tough conditions. The method of this unique trade was also unique. Every Indian trader had a middleman in Tibet 
called “mitra”.

When the trade would resume in April or May, a representative of the Governor of the Ngari province in western Tibet would cross the Himalayas to reach the villages of the Bhotia people to announce the commencement of the trade.

The Indian traders would then prepare to move towards Tibet with their cattle carrying goods. On reaching Tibet, the Indian traders would look for ‘mitra’ through whom they would trade in Tibet.

The trade was brisk during the British era after Colonel Francis Younghusband visited Tibet on June 1903 and obtained some facilities from the Tibetan government for Indian traders. During 1920s, trade from the Kumaon region was nearly 70,000 pounds per annum.The Tibetan administration would collect taxes on crossing the pass, toll tax and 10 per cent tax on all goods exported by Indian traders.

The invasion of China of Tibet and the Indo-China war in 1962 had a traumatic effect on the economy of the Bhotia and Sauka tribes.

As a result, they started migrating to the plains to look for alternative livlihood. The Indo-Tibet trade resumed by the governments of China and India in 1992 is based on selected goods.

The Tibetan livestock in demand among Indian traders cannot be imported from Tibet.

The electronic goods which the Indian traders want to import from Tibet have not been permitted. Therefore, this trade has failed to attract the Bhotia people.

The influx of the Chinese silk through the Lipulekh Pass that threatened to destroy the Indian silk industry has been banned. The trade is not attracting Tibetan traders to India. Only a handful have visited the Indian side in the past few years.

Today, Indian villagers on the Indo-Tibet border need to be rehabilitated. Since only one route of Taklakot has been opened to trade, the only way to rehabilitate the tribal communities is to open the Indo-Tibet border trade via all 12 traditional Himalayan passes as was the case before 1962.

Though China has established rail link with Lhasa, western Tibet is still 800 km from the Tibetan capital, but it is only 50 km from Indian markets. Thus, it is also in China’s interest to help its people avail of goods from Indian markets.

This is one way the tribal communities can be helped to regain prosperity and re-settle in the border villages.

— The writer is a freelance  scribe from Pitthorgarh

Pitthoragarh, June 1
It was an emotional reunion after 70 years. Twentynine-year-old Narcy Zsadton came looking for the descendents of the man who had been guide to his grandfather, Yakob Aahobi, a well-known Polish mountaineer, during the 1939 Nanda Devi expedition.

His grandfather had mentioned the guide in his book.

Narcy’s grandfather and other mountaineers were saved by Diwan Singh Martoliya at great risk to his life.

While Diwan Singh has been long dead, Narcy could meet his 80-year-old son Trilok Singh.

Narcy came to the residence of Trilok Singh and expressed repentance at the turn of events 70 years ago.

His grandfather, who along with seven other mountaineers were saved by Diwan Singh, working as a porter with the expedition, felt on returning home that he deserved better treatment.

“In 1939, a 10-member team from Poland came here to conquer eastern Nanda Devi (7,074 meters) and took with it porters from Martorli village of Munsiyari. Diwan Singh was head of the porters’ team.

“In those days, the mountaineers would tie a piece of flat wood around their waist to protect themselves from crevices in the snow. Diwan Singh suggested the same to the team members. This sound advice saved their lives.

Later, Yakob Aahobi wrote a book about his expedition and mentioned about the wisdom of Diwan Singh and the petty amount he had received from them in lieu of his services.

“My father also guided the German and Swiss teams in 1930, 1936 and 1941.

“He re-invented the Trail Pass from Milam to the Pindari glacier, besides guiding Pitthoragarh DC Dhramveer in 1941,” said Trilok Singh, beaming with pride. “We asked Trilok Singh about his old-age needs which we will try to meet on reaching Poland. We will talk to our club on how to help him,” said Narcy.

Trilok Singh, an artist by profession, has been living alone in Pitthoragarh after the death of his father. — BD Kasniyal 

Dehradun, June 1
A factory official from Kerala was killed by some unidentified persons in Haridwar district, the police said here yesterday. Devdass Namboodri (54) was killed on Saturday night at his house in Shivalik Nagar area near Haridwar industrial estate.

Around five persons barged into Namboodri's house and killed him with sharp-edged weapons, the police said adding that a complaint has been registered in this regard. — PTI