NEW DELHI—Indian shepherds in the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh stood their ground against Chinese soldiers on Jan. 2 when People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers stopped the shepherds’ livestock from grazing in territory claimed by both countries.
The issue eventually led the Indian government to promise shepherds that a few soldiers would accompany them during the next grazing season in the region, according to local officials.
The confrontation between a few Indian shepherds and more than a dozen unarmed PLA soldiers in the Nyoma constituency of Ladakh only came to light last week.
It was the latest attempt by locals to assert their traditional grazing rights in the region, which has faced decades of “salami slicing”—a tactic used by the Chinese that involves grabbing land inch by inch. Since the Galwan conflict in June 2020, the area has seen an increase in military buildup on both sides.
The incident occurred as PLA soldiers attempted an incursion into Indian territory in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a demarcation line that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory in the China–India border dispute.
“Every year ... the shepherds go to these traditional grazing lands near the Line of Actual Control,” Ishey Spalzang, councilor of the Nyoma constituency, told The Epoch Times. “Suppose if they go by early December, they come back by Jan. 10 or Jan. 15. Sometimes, livestock goes near the claim line. The PLA then starts to blare horns which frightens the livestock, who run amok.
“In response, this time, the angry shepherds threw stones at the PLA.”
The incident involved shepherds from the Changpa community, a semi-nomadic people who raise sheep and goats. No one on either side was injured, according to Mr. Spalzang. The Nyoma block is home to several herding units of Changpa.
“Our side committed no violation,” he said.
Mr. Spalzang said the confrontation took place a mile or two from a PLA military post that appeared about two decades ago. Until 1984, he said, the community would graze farther into the region, which has today become inaccessible.
“Since about two decades ago, a Chinese post appeared at Tumtselay, and such confrontations have been recurring since then,” Mr. Spalzang said, adding that a major encounter occurred between the shepherds and the PLA in 2019 in the Kakjung area but that last year, it remained peaceful.
The public representatives of the border regions in India have raised concerns many times that the traditional grazing lands turn into buffer zones after any fresh conflict between India and China, according to local media reports.
A Centuries-Old Way of Life Under Threat
The increasing militarization of the disputed border poses a threat to agro-pastoral communities in the region. They have traditionally relied on animal husbandry and possess cross-generational pastoral knowledge, including knowledge of the area’s unique geography and its seasonal grasslands.Communities in the high-altitude region—which today has turned into a military theater between India and China—possess effective “adaptive strategies” for the efficient use of these pastures. For centuries, this has ensured their “fodder security under specific ecological, socio-economic and political conditions.”
Agropastoralism has been the mainstay of the regions “since time immemorial,” the authors said.
The region possesses seasonal grazing pastures that last for specific times. Pastoral communities depend on timely migrations and timely grazing. For example, according to the researchers, the high-altitude pastures of Ladakh—which are locally called doksa/phu—and the region’s cold-arid climate offer only a brief growing period from March to August.
This prompts specific seasonal migrations to ensure food and fodder security. Missing or disturbing these migrations affects the economy of the Changpas. The paper noted that traditional agropastoralism has already been under threat from climate changes, globalization, and the changing aspirations of the younger generation. Geo-political changes have only added to the stress.
Konchok Stanzin, councilor of the Chushul constituency, another border region, told The Epoch Times that there are more than 300 families in about 15 villages near the de facto India–China border. Their primary livelihood is agropastoralism.
“Our people’s livelihood is dependent on livestock,” Mr. Stanzin said.
When asked what role the nomadic communities play in today’s geo-political context, he said: “Nomads also guard our border.”
Nomads have a presence in some of the most remote and inaccessible border regions. Thus, they are the first witnesses and reporters of any kind of land encroachment by the Chinese. They have the right to protect their traditional resources, Mr. Stanzin said.
Ensuring the Safety of Nomadic Shepherds
The Jan. 2 confrontation was brought to the attention of local Indian authorities and officials of the Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP), who met with locals on Jan. 13 and assured them of protection. The ITBP is deployed along India’s border with the Tibetan plateau.Indian army officials said they will accompany the nomads during their grazing in the border area starting with the next grazing season, according to Mr. Spalzang.
“The two sides are aware of the traditional grazing areas in the border areas. Any incident of friction is dealt with through mechanisms, as appropriate,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Feb 1.
