Besides its picturesque landscapes and great opportunities for adventure sports, the rich Ladakhi culture adds myriad hues to the otherwise arid land. For several years, the vivacious culture of Ladakh remained confined within the periphery of two great mountain ranges - the Himalayas and the Karakoram.
The turning point came in 1960, when the cold desert region was linked with the neighbouring Kashmir Valley by road. It was to be another fourteen years before foreign travellers were allowed permission to visit this sensitive region. In 1974 , foreign visitors found the spellbinding terrain ideal for trekking, mountaineering, jeep safaris, biking and river rafting. The monasteries evoked the interest of historians, anthropologists and scholars alike. However, with the physical barriers melting, the mental barriers existing within the Ladakhi society have only seen an upsurge.
Ladakh, for many, has been a land of discoveries - some discovered peace; to some it revealed the essence of life, some satisfied their pining for adventure - but hiding behind this glory are social ills marring the beauty, silent, never talked of. Apart from the recent charges of corruption and nepotism, casteism is an old evil that has shackled the inhabitants of this isolated region, northernmost in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The presence of hierarchy in the social ranking was the initial face of casteism in Leh, one of the two districts in Ladakh. In a society dominated by a casteless religion, such social constructs often leave one befuddled with questions.
An interaction with the elderly here unveils the genesis of the caste system in Leh. According to Tashi Nurboo, a resident of Skara Village in Leh who has seen three generations evolving, the caste system is nothing but the division of labor that was established by the King in ancient times. This was done in order to run the administration efficiently.
People from the community who were given the task of painting were recognized by the surname of that of a painter. Similarly, people who looked after the livestock were given the surname of a shepherd. Identity was solely a matter of occupation chosen by people or given to them by the rulers.
The title of Smith - Garba, was given to the communities who would make tools; an occupation looked down upon as 'lowly'. Those who keep the caste system alive in their behavior forget that Garbas have played a key role in the creation of new Ladakh. Tools made by them are used in the agricultural fields - people plough, water the fields and harvest them in order to sustain their livelihood. Yet they are not allowed to live a dignified life.
Worst affected are the people who chose to add color to the otherwise bland landscape of Leh. The drum players (Daman) were artists who contributed a great deal to the cultural wealth of society but were considered inferior and designated as Baeda. Musicians (Baeda and Mon) created and gave life to many folk songs. Till date, their successors are playing a major role in protecting the vulnerable cultural heritage, yet they face discrimination at every level.
At village gatherings or ceremonies, people considered to be low caste have separate cups and glasses for drinking local beer (Chang) or tea. They are not allowed to eat or drink from the utensils of others as they fear that they would pollute them. They are forbidden from becoming the head of the village (Goba) and head of the monastery (Lobon) irrespective of their proficiency, due to their caste identity.
The Charkha Development Communication network feels that one of the consequences of such unethical practices has been that people have started walking out of their traditional profession that brought to them shame and hatred from their own people. It has slowly become a reason for distrust among the communities.
Despite the unacceptability of such discrimination in our Constitution, which provided guarantee of "Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth" under Article 15 of the Constitution of India and "Abolition of untouchability" under Article 17, the abhorrent practice continues.
"I could never understand the logic behind such discriminatory practices. I have seen it from both ends - have been discriminated by others and seen my family members discriminating others. I condemn such practices as they not only demoralize a person but raises questions on ones identity," expresses a young Ladakhi student studying in Jammu University.
