Pastoral Nomads of the Indian Changthang: Production System, Landuse and Socioeconomic Changes

Abstract

(Jina, 1995), graze the rangelands of Changthang. TheChangpa are Buddhists and share cultural and linguisticaffinities with Tibet (Rizvi, 1996). They lost access toseveral traditional pastures on the Tibetan side when Indiaand China fought a war in the region in 1962 (Ahmed,1997). Around the same time, the Indian side saw a heavyinflux of Tibetan refugees (popularly known as TRs), who,like the Changpa, rear a variety of livestock includinghorse, yak, sheep and goat. These livestock types areadapted to the hostile and marginal pastures of the region,and provide a range of products and services. The domesticgoats of Changthang reportedly produce the finest cash-mere wool or Pashmina in the world (Misra et al., 1998;Ahmed, 2002). The Government of India has beenfacilitating Pashmina production by providing incentivesto the Changpas for several decades, in the form ofsupplementary cattle feed during severe winters andsubsidized food provisions etc.Recent studies of the people of Changthang suggestconsiderable social, economic and land tenure changes,particularly during the period after the war between Indiaand China (Saberwal, 1996; Jina, 1999; Chaudhuri, 2000;Ahmed, 2002; Hagalia, 2004; Goodall, 2004; Rawat andAdhikari, 2005; Rosing, 2006). These studies were con-ducted primarily in the Rupshu-Kharnak area that isrelatively close to the district headquarters, Leh, and is animportant tourist destination. However, there is virtually noinformation from other, parts of Changthang, especially theeastern Hanle Valley bordering China (c. 3,000 km