Ashish Chouhan
The cold air of the remotest part of Jammu and Kashmir was filled with gratitude when K V Krishna Rao, the then Governor of the erstwhile state, visited Atholi Paddar on the 9th of December. It was 1989 AD, a watershed year in the history of Paddar. People flocked from the length and breadth of the region to Atholi, the heart of the valley, to be a part of this mega-gathering. For it was a day when the easternmost part of J&K, that is Paddar, was being formally connected with the rest of the state with a motor-able road. It was a Chwass moment for the entire Paddar. Chwass is a typical Paddri word, spoken by locals here in ecstasy while dancing with some specific gestures. Paddar has seen many such Chwass moments. These moments have brought Paddar unprecedented development and recognition in time. Three of them are important and need specific mention.
First, the discovery of Sapphire Mines in1881-82 AD when Paddar started selling Sapphires to Lahuli traders at the cost of stones.Many locals became part of this murky trade of purchasing salt in exchange for Sapphire stones. It wasDogra ruler Maharaja Ranbir Singh who when heard about this, took control of the mine and stopped this proliferation of unjust trade. Many families made fortunes over this who understood the real value of these peacock blue stones. Subsequently, Paddar got worldwide recognition in 1890 AD, albeit clouded by the name of Kashmir,when Tom D La Touche, the then Deputy Superintendent, of The Geological Survey of India, published a paper on Paddar sapphires.
Second,the commencement of the pilgrimage to Machail in 1987AD by a policeman and an ardent devotee of Holy Mother Chandi, Sh. Thakur Kulbeer Singhji, from Chinote, Bhaderwah. Today, the number of devotees who pay obeisance annually at the shrine in Machail is swelling to lakhs. One can easily hear the sound of choppers these years, carrying pilgrims from Kishtwar and Gulabgarh to the abode of Maa Chandi in Machail. Infrastructure has improved tremendously in Paddar since then. Business activities have boomed. Artists, especially singers from Paddar are getting some platforms in the cities. Nowadays, one can easily hear the names of Paddar and Machail from the loudspeakers rumbling in the heart of the cities.
Third, the inauguration of the Galhar-Paddar road in 1989 AD by then Governor of the erstwhile state KV Krishna Rao, as mentioned at the outset.How can one forget the burden of big bags and salt sacks on the backs of cattle and sheep plying on the footpath called Ram Rasta (a road also used by the Dogra General Zorawar Singh in his expedition to Paddar and Zanskar) from Galhar to Paddar? People still remember the moments when bulldozers were seen as the tableau of development in Paddar and what these machines changed for them ever since is not hidden. Subsequently, many completed their education plying on these roads. Electricity, bridges, network towers, tehsils, and much more accompanied afterward. Indeed this was a Chwass moment for Paddar.
Today some of these roads have been macadamized, network towers are penetrating the faraway villages and development is picking pace. But when it comes to holistic development we are still lagging much behind in this contemporary world. Let us know how!
The status of education in Paddar is abysmal. According to the 2011 census, the literacy rate of Paddar is just 56.61 %(69.2 % for males and 41.08 percent for females). There are some villages like Kidru, for example where the literacy rate is below 25 percent. A model degree college was sanctioned in 2018 AD under RUSA very recently. We hope things will get better with time but how much progress can one expect from a region where almost half of the population is illiterate?
Scores of villages in Paddar are still unconnected by roads and proper communication facilities. Health services are poor. When winters set in, these villages find themselves lost in the land of snowflakes. God forbid, but if some health emergency arises in winter they get dependent on the mercy of God. We have hundreds of stories to tell about how people carry the ailing patient on their backs in emergencies. Today a Sub District Hospital is under construction in Atholi and many PHCs working in villages. But the situation is still far from better.
Moreover, poverty is a major determinant. As per the NFSA records, there are 76.6% BPL families in Paddar which indicates the acute backwardness of Paddar. 90 percent of the population of Paddar is still involved in agriculture. People migrate from their villages to towns and cities in winter to keep their house hearth up and running. Unemployment is at its peak. The youth of Paddar is desperate.
Our culture, on the whole, is also lingering for a transformational shift. Many of our rituals and festivals have died premature death. Extinction of one local Kothi (traditional houses of the people of Paddar) from the face of Paddar can eat 100 plus words from the vocabulary of our Paddri dialect. Now imagine the loss of words that extinction of our local flour mills (Ghirats), get-up, and cuisine will ensue. Modernity and Globalization have impacted our culture.
What is the solution to our problems then?
People believe that a significant shift in the tourism sector can solve many such problems in Paddar. J&K administration can catalyze the process. Paddar Development Authority should be set up in the subdivision just like that of BDA in Bhaderwah to build vibrant tourism infrastructure. Because they have the memory of Machail Yatra and how it transformed their lives they are expecting it to be a game changer.
Some people believe that start of Kirthai I & II and many other mini-hydroelectricity projects would work wonders for the region and solve many of the problems. The Kirthai hydroelectricity project is yet to start. We hope its process will be expedited. This demand is stemmed from the belief that developmental projects would bring development in the area and employment to the youth.
While a major chunk of the population says that ST status for Paddar will be a panacea. Recently before the visit of our Home Minister Amit Shah to Jammu & Kashmir, Sunil Sharma, current UT General Secretary (BJP), Incharge Kashmir Division and Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar & former MoS R&B and Revenue, J&K,was seen in Delhi with a paper, putting forth a long pending demand of ST status for Paddar. With this,the aspirations of the people of Paddar have grown manifold for they were demanding it since 1976 AD. This tribal status will open many avenues for the people of Paddar. Holistic development will be visible as an after fruit. People will get employment and the culture of Paddar just like Pangi will get manure to grow. Whatever comes first, will be welcomed by the people of Paddar for they are eagerly waiting for the Next Chwass moment in Paddar.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
