Dr Mohinder Kumar
Matho is one of the few villages near Leh city where 30 years ago four “Rabo” nomad households from Kordok and Kharnak villages of Nyoma block migrated for settled life. “Rabo” nomads are basically original tribal inhabitants of Changthang region near China border who live in “Pashmina” tents. After their migration in the mid-1980, they purchased land and got settled to lead a life of agriculturists and wage-labourers. Kharnak and Kordok had historical link with Matho. Matho was originally settled and inhabited hundreds of years ago by ancestors of today’s nomad migrants. Matho is very old village of historical significance. Nomads used to come, go back and return all the way from Changthang to Matho, which suggests somewhat semi-nomadic and semi-settled character of “Rabo” nomads which have had the tendency to lead a settled life.
Matho is located at a distance of 22 km from Choglamsar and 30 km from Leh city. It has 300 households, of which 50% households survive on wage-labor, which is huge change in the economy of Matho village. Total area of village is 1600 acres including 100 acres of common land in plains and other forest land that is hilly and mountainous. Topography of village is similar to Chuchoot village but one major difference is that top of mountain, which is forest land has vast areas of rolling pastures on which 300-400 livestock (cows, goats, sheep, donkeys, etc.) can be taken for grazing. Hilly forest land has various species of bushes and trees (poplar, Keru, stick, safeda, etc.). Two main nallahs irrigate agricultural land of farmers in the plains. Villagers have constructed 10-12 huts/ shelters on hilly slopes (like Dhoks constructed by ‘bhalay’ shepherds on hills in Kashmir Valley). Roofs of huts are constructed with stones and wood wherein shepherds of Matho stay for three to four months with goats taken there for grazing. Shepherd of the herd is village youth who charges Rs.350 per goat for three months as grazing and supervision fee from goat owners of the village.
Village Weekly
All households are engaged in occupation of farming including those four nomad migrants. They cultivate wheat, barley (3-4 varieties), vegetables, etc. Fruit trees (apple, apricot) are also grown on agricultural land. Other trees grown by farmers are ‘steek’ (thin stick wood used in roof for house construction), ‘yarpa’ (used as beam in roof), ‘youlat’ (wood logs used in roofs and for window frame), ‘keru’ or ‘malchag’ (soft wood used for furniture items tables, chairs, decorative pieces), etc. Cultivation is done for six months in a year.
Performance of Gram Panchayat/ Sarpanch is perceived as satisfactory except on the issue of Kisan Credit Card (KCC). Farmers are not aware about KCC. However, each household has got ration card, which is more a source of consolation and satisfaction for them. Sarpanch helped people get MNREGA job cards. Each household from Matho village has one job card holder under MNREGA. Works completed under MNREGA pertain to nallah repair, jali bund (rukk), canal (kool, drain), land development on private farm land, etc. all Panches/ members sit together to allocate expenditure for works completed in all mohallas. Payment to labor wages through bank account is not yet started. Wage rate under MNREGA is Rs.180/- per day. All villagers are involved in planning process for formulation of village plan. Attitude of Sarpanch is reported as cooperative. Gram Panchayat functions as grass-root institution. However, villagers/ Sarpanch are reported to be not in favor of devolution of funds/financial powers to Gram Panchayat. Its reason is that functions of departments concerned in the execution of works, allocation of funds, release of money, settlement of bills, etc. are satisfactory and not perceived as creating hassles. Village receives funds as per plan requirement submitted by Gram Panchayat without curtailing the size of village plan. Situation differs from village to village. Some villages complain about restricted allocation of funds under MNREGA.
Villagers are not aware whether forests and hills belong to Gram Panchayat or “Matho village” or “Government”. But they were satisfied with the fact that no person or agency bars them from entering forest. It’s different from strict restrictions in case of forest of Chuchoot village situated 22 km from Matho. The same confusion of ownership persists on common (shamlat) land also in many villages including Matho.
Matho village has 300-400 youth, of which 50% are, according to them, employable as they aspire for Government jobs. However, in reality they are absorbed by unorganized sector as wage laborers and taxi drivers. Youth employed in Government service are reported maximum (60-70 persons) in army. Villagers think that 50% unemployed youth should work in field on family farm. Women members of family in Matho village are not house job keepers but rather actively participate in farming. All women in the village work on farm or engaged as wage laborer. If a farm household does not have family labor or family-labor-pool is inadequate, they hire wage laborers from village because repeatedly it is not possible to share work free of cost on neighbor’s farm. Changes in relations are happening even as free cooperation among villagers is giving way to the system of wage-labor.
Since all farmers are doing subsistence-based farming, no need is felt by them for agricultural market. Village has no bank branch. Condition of roads is good. Big bunds are constructed for flood protection. It’s a fact that Leh villages face fury of floods caused by river Indus due to rising water level, cloudburst, etc. but these natural disasters are uncommon and uncertain.
Matho village has veterinary health center. Compounder is available regularly and medicines supplied are satisfactory. Land records are reported to be proper. There is no NGO or cooperative society functioning in Matho. There is one SHG formed by Village Level Workers of District Rural Development Agency, Leh. It is engaged in knitting activity and it has installed a weaving machine also. Development schemes, MNREGA and Indira Awas Yojna, are implemented in the village. Villagers have not benefitted by any other central Government scheme, since not implemented in Matho.
Basic amenities available in Matho village are poor. Street lanes are kutcha though sanitary condition is good (without much rains, Leh villages are dry, clean and without muddy streets). Streets drains are pucca. However, streetlights are not installed. It creates problem during night as dog bite instances happen quite often. There is no hand pump water supply in village since never tried. There is piped water supply scheme from nallah near Gompa. There is a big dispensary on upper ward of village, which has two doctors. However, private clinic or medicine shops are not available, for which villagers visit Choglamsar.
There are four or five grocery shops and three fair price ration shops (one in each mohalla). In certain respects, Matho has better basic amenities as compared to other villages. Supply of ration goods from ration stores is also better and timely. Matho is connected with nearest town Choglamsar (22 km) by private van/ taxi service which charges Rs.25/- for one way transportation. There is private bus route as bus plies from Matho and back from Choglamsar every day. There is no post office in village. Matho has three schools, one each for primary, middle and high classes.
Private economic assets of villagers comprise two tractors, 1500 acres land, 300-400 livestock, etc. There are no power tillers and no threshers. Around 50% of farm households survive on wage-labor because subsistence farming cannot produce sufficient food for family survival; so, food security is an issue. Number of below Poverty Line (BPL) households in the village is 30-35 (15%) even as there are no landless households. It implies that ownership of land or cultivation under given conditions of farming is not a guarantee against poverty. BPL households exist despite owning land. Half of the total number of households are kutcha and 40% households face the problem of fuel wood and hence they are over-dependent on cow dung cakes. None of the 300 households use LPG room heater or electric heater during winter. Around 10% (30-35) households face the problem of inadequate cash-money as they have no access to sources of finance. They see “no benefit” in bank loan (by which they mean to say that bank loans should not be subject to norm of repayment but considered as subsidy or grant assistance). Nevertheless they want bank loan for small grocery shop type activities. If these units succeed and turn out to be economically viable then loan repayment could be thought of; otherwise bank loan would be presumed by them as subsidy or free financial assistance in a welfare State. Inter-village comparison of attitudes of villagers, attitudes within Matho village, attitude to banks and bank loans are marked by unclear conceptions and confusions, since they cannot as yet judge the historic value and significance of bank loans as part of the modern banking system, for which financial literacy of villagers is required.
Main problem of the village is related to the reduced and uncertain quantity of water available for irrigation. Irrigation water depends on snowfall during winter. If snowfall is less, there would be less water in summer for irrigation. It creates difficulties in farming since crop dries due to less water and dry land has less moisture. One has no control over quantum of snowfall and quantity of water released after snow-melt. Village is yet to think about the need for creating water-harvesting structures (WHSs) or tanks/ ponds for storage of irrigation water. Another village (Thiksay) in Leh district has adopted this method of water storage. A few other villages also use WHSs. Bank loan is required by villagers because village is located in a far flung area to start small businesses; tourists visit in interior areas; roads are closed due to landslides during August and during snowfall. Therefore, as incentive, villagers require subsidy and bank loan to set up taxi operator business. One primary school is required on upper portion of village since population has increased and some part of village population is spread-out in wards on the hills. Matho represents the process of transition carried for over 100 years, to mark a change from nomadic life style to settled life of farming and then to vagabond wage-labor -all for physical survival.
(Author works for NABARD. Views expressed are personal).
Feedback at mohinder1966@gmail.com
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