Ladakh  is  one  of  the  highest  inhabited  regions  of  the  world  with altitudes  of  habitations  ranging  from  2,460  mt.  to  4,920  mt.

Prehistoric tools and artifacts found at several places, particularly on the sandy banks of the Indus, which courses through Ladakh for about 300 km, have provided evidence that the region was inhabited in the Neolithic period as well. But very little else is known about the kind of people that had inhabited the region then.

It is now well-settled that the inhabitants of the present Ladakh are ethnologically the result of a long process of blending between a  Tibeto-Mongoloid  race  and  the  Dardic Aryan  race.  The  racial spectrum of this blend runs along the Indus from purely Tibetan in the east to purely Dardic in the west. The earliest known settlers of Ladakh were Mons from northern India and Dards from the ravines and valleys of the Hindukush-Karakuram region. Tibetans have been a late comer to the region. But once they spilled over to this region in large numbers across the steppes of Changthang (Northern Tibet), they  apparently  tried  to  push  the  Mons  and  the  Dards  out  of  the region. In the process, the Mons were almost entirely driven out of Ladakh  and  the  Dards  either  driven  westwards  or  effectively assimilated into the torrents of this influx.

The feeble Dardic culture was completely overwhelmed by the more  vibrant  Tibetan  culture;  although  instead  of  completely supplanting  it,  it  was  effectively  assimilated.  The  people  of  this ethnic background were later joined in lower Ladakh by some Baltis believed to be descendants of the Sakas, a Central Asian tribe. Then, geographical  isolation  of  the  region  for  centuries,  nurturing  the confluence of two races, has helped Ladakh become the crucible of a  distinctive  socio-cultural  entity. The  challenges  and  inspirations provided by the harsh but picturesque Ladakhi environment seem to have had their telling impact in shaping of the unique Ladakhi ethos. Besides, at one point of time in history, Ladakh had become an ‘entrepot’ of trade from all four directions and thereby a tributary as well as distributary of the Silk Road. Being on a trade cross-roads has helped the people of this region acquire their own characteristic outlook. They have come to acquire something of a cosmopolitan air which the ancient Tibetans and Dards conspicuously lacked.

Economic and Social Life in 20th Century Ladakh

The village habitations of Ladakh, almost without exception, have grown  over  delta-like  alluvial  deposits  from  glacier-fed  streams.

The  limited  availability  of  irrigable  fertile  soil  deposits  has prevented the population of this region from exploding like in many regions  newly  broken  for  human  habitation  in  other  parts  of  the world. Average joint-family holding size in the 20th century was 4  acres.  Until  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  the  population  of Ladakh  entirely  depended  on  subsistence  agriculture  and  barter system of economic transactions, including of unskilled labour and professional  services.  The  population  was  well  adjusted  to  the limited amount of cultivable land and slender resources of water and  stock  forage.  Despite  extreme  climate  and  scarce  resources, however, Ladakhis all along have enjoyed a self-reliant economy where in starvation deaths were unheard of. Bartering labour and services of various kinds for food grains or other necessities of life was a common practice.

For about two generations, after Ladakh became, by conquest, a part of the Dogra kingdom in 1834 and then a part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir (after Kashmir was transferred by the British to  Jammu  kingdom  under  the  Treaty  of Amritsar)  in  1846,  it  had remained  in  a  state  of  isolation  and  neglect  till,  as  a  part  of independent India, it was connected by air in May, 1948 and by road later in August, 1960. Since then, Ladakh has embarked on a path of material progress under state development plans, as in other parts of  Jammu  and  Kashmir,  with  progressively  increasing  financial assistance  from  the  Central  government.  The  network  of  modern communication  systems—road  communication  and  telecommunication brought the population of this remote region face to face with comforts and concepts of modern technology-driven life. Besides, heightening of the strategic importance of Ladakh for the country’s defences, in the wake of the 1962 Chinese aggression, proved a boon for this hugely neglected part of the country. Since then, it started receiving unprecedented attention of both the Central and the State governments leading to accelerated progress on all fronts.

The  beginning  of  the  20th  century  had  marked  the  advent  of modern education in Ladakh. The first primary school was opened in  Leh  by  the  Moravian  Christian  missionaries  in  1889. This  was followed by the opening of the first government primary school in Leh four years later in 1893.Then, the first middle school, the first high school and the first higher secondary school in Leh and Kargil towns were opened in 1925, 1945 and 1970, respectively. A degree college each in the two towns was established in 1994. Consequent upon  the  opening  of  a  network  of  educational  institutions  in  the region, a generation of youths, fluent in Hindustani (Urdu and Hindi) and  reasonably  proficient  in  English  language,  had  provided  the initial  crop  of  modern-educated  and  formally  trained  teachers, doctors, engineers, white-collared workers and other technical hands to man progressively the positions available in the region through the  second  half  of  the  20th  century.  Such  positions  were  earlier almost entirely manned by persons deputed from the Kashmir valley.

Thus, the second half of the 20th century can be said to have marked the transition of Ladakh from the old to the new.

On the Threshold of the New Millennium, a  couple  of  Ladakhi  generations,  in  post-independent  India, straddling the period between the mid-20th century and the first two decade of the new millennium, provided the bridge between the old Ladakh, lost in time, and the new vibrant Ladakh, benefiting from the  cross-cultural  currents  facilitated  by  the  communication  links established  between  the  region  and  the  outside  world.  These generations can also be thought of as the crucial bridge between the region and the rest of the world. Since the linking of Ladakh with the rest of the country through road and air connectivity, the people of this region have learnt to integrate the modern with the traditional most  imaginatively. Those  fortunate  few  of  these  two  generations who received higher education in different subjects came to occupy some of the key positions in the State administration, particularly at the district level. By the turn of the century, a sizeable number of government jobs in the then only district of Ladakh had come to be occupied  by  college-educated  locals.  They  proved  to  be  an inspiration for the subsequent generations leading to an increasing number  of  them  going  in  for  higher  education  and  training  rather than settling in life with government jobs then readily available for local people who had passed out from the several elementary and two high schools then available in the region. Those who were not fortunate enough to go through the modern educational system, and were left to earn their livelihood in the primary and tertiary sectors of the subsistence economy, also benefited from the concepts and comforts of modern technology-driven activities to improve their lot.

Then, decentralization of the development process to district level towards the end of the twentieth century helped development of the region increasingly as per the aspirations of the inhabitants.

Over the second half of the 20th century, Ladakhis had experienced an  unprecedented  general  assimilation  into  the  mainstream  of  the Indian nation-state like no other ethnic minority. Since independence in  1947  and  the  State’s  accession  to  the  Indian  Union  in  1948, Ladakhis have come to participate in the vicissitude of the country shoulder  to  shoulder  with  people  of  other  regions  of  the  country.

Post 1947 Ladakh has, therefore, become the meeting ground of two very different cultures, Ladakhi and Indian, and thereby the crucible for a new and, hopefully, a more sublime culture in which the best of both can be said to have been fused. This is exemplified by the ease  with  which  Ladakhis  have  taken  to  the  Indian  language (Hindustani),  Indian  fine  art  and  music  (both  folk  and  popular), Indian dress, Indian food habits and Indian general way of living.

The result is what can be described as an Indo-Ladakhi culture wherein Ladakhi vernacular language is becoming increasingly laced with  Hindi/Urdu  words  and  Hindustani  is  becoming  the  second language for young Ladakhis; Ladakhi folk theatre (Namthar) and folk songs (Zhunglu) are giving way to Bollywood films and songs; Ladakhi staples, thukpa (a wheat cereal-based broth), paba (a wheat and legumes-based meal) and kholak (a barley farina-based meal) are giving way increasingly to rice and curries of the North Indian variety; and Ladakhi mogos (female robe) and phogos (male robe) are giving way to the ubiquitous shalwar-kamees of northern India and shirt-pants and jackets, respectively. Thus, before the evolution of Ladakhi society had gone far in the 20th century, the revolutionary impact of the Indian civilization and culture has been upon it which, with all its pluses and minuses, has come for a harmonious mingling with the former.

And then Ladakh was thrown open for tourism in 1974, though restricted  to  a  few  interior  areas  through  the  inner-line  and  the restricted-area permit system. Close on the heels came the discovery that  the  Ladakhi  culture  and  values  have  after  all  been  no  less sophisticated  than  those  of  some  of  the  most  advanced  societies.

Consequently,  some  of  the  orthodox  local  sand  many  professed Ladakh-loving outsider shave been asking the population to resist the ‘invasion of the region by alien cultures’ and advocating a return to the Ladakhi folk culture, but to no avail. The forces of change are proving to be insurmountable. This is so because the Ladakhis cannot  cut  themselves  adrift  from  the  forceful  world  currents accompanying  the  tourist  influx,  not  so  much  of  intellectual  and moral  ideas  as  of  the  scientific  techniques  and  modern  modes  of living  with  all  their  pluses  and  minuses.  The  challenge  to  the Ladakhis of today, therefore, is to see how best a harmonious fusion or amalgam can be brought about by combining, as far as possible, the best in both.

In the development plans of Ladakh district (now the districts of Leh and Kargil), since planned development started in the State of Jammu and Kashmir in the 1960s, priority was rightly given to road connectivity, social sector (education and health), green cover and  tourism.  These  sectors  are  considered  powerful  antidotes  to poverty, ignorance and backwardness. In fact, communication—road connectivity and telecommunication—is considered the sine qua non for  development  in  all  other  sectors  of  the  economy.  That  these priorities and strategies of development adopted in Ladakh over the years  have  paid  off  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  Leh  district  was rated  by  a  nation-level  study  carried  out  in  2013  as  the  fastest developing district in the whole of India.

Human capital development for a place, particularly an isolated region like Ladakh where economic opportunities are limited, can hardly be overemphasized. Ladakh region with a population of about three  lakhs  (2011  census)  constitutes  about  60%  of  J&K  State’s geographical area of about 94,000 square kilometers. However, 90% of the area is not available for any economic activity. The region’s population  has  grown  from  some  75,000  in  1951  (when  the  first regular  decennial  census  was  held  in  the  country)  to  2.9  lakhs  in 2011. With these geographical, demographic and ethnic situations, Ladakh has its own unique problems. Livelihood avenues in different sectors  of  the  economy  in  the  region  are  extremely  limited  and cannot keep pace with the growing population.

Therefore, in order that economic opportunities keep pace with the growth in population, planners are required to assign still higher priority  to  human  capital  development  by  improving  medical, educational  and  training  facilities,  including  their  standards.  The effort has to be aimed at enabling Ladakhi youths to compete for suitable jobs outside Ladakh—in the state and the country, and even abroad. Besides, even for ensuring a broad-based public participation in  economic  expansion  within  the  region,  universal  literacy, vocational  training  and  a  comprehensive  healthcare  system  are required to be areas of high priority.

Health and education are intrinsically important because a society that  does  not  provide  universal  school  education  and  a comprehensive healthcare is found in the modern age to be physically insipid and morally repugnant. Morality apart, no micro-economy can hope to post sustained development to improve quality of life if it does not have a healthy and educated population. Raising the unacceptably low educational standards in the region, therefore, has to be another critical policy priority for enabling the inhabitants of this remote region to tap opportunities in services within as well as outside the region.

Over the last few decades, Ladakh has done exceedingly well in expansion of educational facilities. As per the 2011 census report, Leh with 80.48% literacy was the second most literate district after the winter capital of Jammu (83.93%) among the 21 districts of the State.  However,  there  is  a  need  in  the  region,  as  in  other  parts  of the country, to encourage creative learning in schools and colleges by cutting on the widely prevalent rote learning practices. The tests and examinations are required to be so structured as to disincentives degree  acquisition  through  rote  learning.  This  calls  for  conscious overhauling of the education and training curricula and examination system  by  education  planners  within  the  framework  of  a  national policy.  It  is  gratifying  that  some  efforts  in  the  past  by  the  private sector and the civil society in this area have resulted in many Ladakhi youths  managing  to  compete  for  decent  government  and  private sector jobs outside the region. Spread of education and healthcare services has doubtlessly helped the people of this remote region to harness their latent potentials.

Tourism all over the world has proved to be a powerful engine of economic growth. Ladakh was opened to a controlled tourism first time in 1975. To give proper direction to the fledgling tourism in the  region,  the  district  administration  had  engaged  the  Planning, Consultancy  &  Engineering  Division  of  the  India  Tourism Development  Corporation  (ITDC)  in  1980  to  prepare  a  vision document for the region. The report submitted by ITDC in March, 1981 was taken as the road map for developing tourism in the region.

As  recommended,  an  annual  tourism  festival  was  started  in  Leh district in early 80s wherein the best of Ladakhi culture, handicrafts, flora and fauna were brought for display at one place towards the end of the season. Folk archery, pony polo, and Ladakhi folk theatre and  cultural  items  constituted  the  sheet  anchor  of  the  festival.

Alongside, the tourists were treated to local culinary delights (dishes and  drinks),  as  well  as  yak  and  Bactrian  double-humped  camel riding. This festival, aimed primarily at extending the short tourist season in Ladakh, also helped in broad-basing tourism during the short  summer  season  of  Ladakh.  Side  by  side,  improvement  of connectivity  to  and  financial  assistance  for  restoration  and maintenance of monasteries, the mainstay of religio-cultural tourism in the region, was made a part of the tourism development plans.

Subsidy to local families to develop guest house facilities were also built into the State plan budgets for development of the hospitality sector  as  an  adjunct  to  tourism.  Thanks  to  the  development  of tourism infrastructure, the tourist arrivals has increased from some 14,000  in  1980  to  close  to  3,00,000  in  2017,  generating  multiple economic  activities and  concomitant  prosperity  to  the  local population.  The  challenge  now  for  the  planners  of  tourism  in  the region is to see that further growth in the sector receives the right direction  so  that  tourism  in  Ladakh  does  not  impact  local  life adversely and the region does not go the way some small, unique tourist  destinations  have  gone.  For  this,  all  stake-holders  are  now required  to  be  brought  at  one  forum  to  brainstorm  and  advise  the local  authorities  in  the  region  and  the  State.  On  the  whole,  for tourists, both international and domestic, Ladakh has emerged as one of the most attractive tourist destinations of the new millennium.

One important subject that merits special treatment in a paper like  this  is  the  impact  of  climate  change  and  the  necessary development  and  adaptive  strategies  required  of  the  government authorities and inhabitants of Ladakh, respectively. It can be said that just as the region is emerging rapidly out of the sub-continental and global  cultural  shadow,  so  also  it  is  emerging  out  of  the  sub- continental and global climatic shadow. Changes in global weather pattern is resulting in the heavy cloud-laden monsoon winds from the plains of the Indian sub-continent crossing the orographic barrier of the Himalayas and spilling over now and then to Ladakh which had  in  the  past  remained  in  total  monsoon  shadow.  The  time  has come to have both preventive and adaptive measures clearly reflected among  the  priorities  in  the  perspective  and  annual  plans  of  the region.  The  challenge  to  the  planners  of  Ladakh  in  the  new millennium in this respect is, therefore, giving proper directions to development in the works and construction sector so as to minimize the  adverse  impact  of  occasional  heavy  monsoon  showers  and concomitant flash floods.

Thus, development of human capital, giving proper direction to the tourism industry and minimising adverse impacts of monsoon- related  flash  floods  are  some  of  the  major  imperatives  of  ‘21st Century Ladakh’. Keeping these imperatives in sight is crucial for helping  Ladakh  catch  up  without  diversions  with  the  rest  of  the country in all respects and seeing the region emerge as a bright patch on the Indian mosaic that instinctively cherishes all that the Indian nation (a sixth of humankind inhabiting planet earth) stands for. All in  all,  economic  and  social  statistics  of  Ladakh  at  the  turn  of  the century bodes well for the people of the 21st Century Ladakh.

Ladakh has now emerged out of the shadow of its past and the people  are  coming  out  of  the  chronic  epithet  of  ‘backward community’. With the realisation of a railway link, now on the anvil, even the lingering sense of isolation of this trans-Himalayan region is expected to be a thing of the past.