Jai Wadia

In a unique initiative funded by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, the people of the remote region of Ladakh are taking their destiny in their own hands as they participate in the planning and development of their villages

Sonam Tashi, Umang Norboo, Tsering Lampa and a large group of villagers from the Leh district of Ladakh are huddled over some colourful chalk markings on the ground, talking and gesturing animatedly. But this is no idle game. Rather, they are braving the chilly weather to participate in a unique initiative to help plan the development of their region. The graffiti-like chalk markings on the ground indicate the various development sectors they have identified that require attention and intervention.

This is one of the micro-level planning initiatives undertaken by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill District Council (LAHDC), with support from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. The three organisations have come together to form the Tata-LAHDC development support programme, to help the Ladakhi community become self-sufficient and move towards a sustainable way of life.

Ladakhis are a resilient lot. Their settlements are at some of the highest altitudes on earth, where winter temperatures can drop to a chilling minus 40 to 50^oCelsius. The region is isolated from the rest of the country for a major part of the year. Apart from being a politically stressed region flanked by Pakistan and China, in recent years the added burden of army personnel and a burgeoning tourist population — both domestic and international — has exacerbated an already fragile eco-system, apart from creating a scarcity of resources.

As a result, Tashi and the rest of his community have become increasingly dependent on the outside world to provide them with essential commodities like food, fuel, gas cylinders, electricity, etc in the winter months.

Over the years they made a livelihood the only way they knew; through agriculture, horticulture and pastoral pursuits. But this lifestyle has come under threat and become very difficult to sustain. Their children don't want to carry on as agriculturists, since it's not very paying and the agricultural season lasts only a few months in summer, when they can grow a little barley, wheat and vegetables.

Owing to the onset of the 'westernisation' brought by the outside world, the consumption patterns of the Ladakhis have changed, threatening their traditional culture and livelihoods. Recently, there is a growing interest among the community to address this. One of SDTT's priorities is to support underdeveloped regions. The LAHDC in Leh and TISS faculty members came forward to provide their expertise. The project, initiated in July 2005, has been granted a sum of Rs 46.6 million over a five-year span.

Participation is the key
The project is unique. It involves a participatory approach, involving local people at the grassroots in the planning process of their region, making it more democratic and decentralised. The programme aims to formulate a comprehensive plan that will help improve the lives of the Ladakhi people. Tashi, Norboo, Lampa, and villagers like them will decide on some of the key areas of development and prioritise them according to their needs.

Some areas they have already identified are agriculture — introduction of power tillers in some villages — animal husbandry, and education — including teachers' training and construction of a student hostel. Improvements proposed in the health sector include facilities for diagnosis and treatment, training of doctors in varied specialisations, procurement of a CT scan or MRI instrument and creating awareness on HIV / Aids.

Tourism is an important industry locally, and a scheme to train local youth is on the cards, so that more of them can set up travel agencies. Other sectors on the agenda include urban development and communications.

Realising the pitfalls of a top-down approach in planning, the Ladakhi people have succeeded in obtaining autonomous status and have established the LAHDC, which has the freedom to plan and implement development programmes for the community under the aegis of the Jammu and Kashmir government. Since the LAHDC council members are elected peoples' representatives, there is a greater sense of responsibility and accountability, and any planning has to take the needs and aspirations of the people into consideration.

The Tata-LAHDC support programme is locally known as Project Gurjya (meaning a change for the better) and has sparked a lot of interest among the local people. Apart from being more aware and informed, the local people now discuss the issues at hand and are very eager to cooperate with the project team. Chering Dorjay, LAHDC chairman and chief executive councillor, says, "We have started getting positive feedback from the villagers. Some have even complained that no one from the project has visited their village as yet."

Step by step
When the project was initiated, no quantitative data on Ladakh was readily available. The first task was a household survey to gather and document authentic facts and figures from Leh's numerous hamlets. The project team has been touring the area to unearth relevant information about the community, like the number of family members in each household, their means of livelihood, number of children in each age group, number of schools in the area, the number of students, the distance to the closest public health centre, etc.

This is vital information, and will help LAHDC in the planning process, to ensure allocation of government resources in a systematic way. Dr S Parasuraman, director, TISS says, "Enhancing the sustainability of lives and livelihoods depends on our understanding of what is happening. Our initial effort is trying to understand the context and the situation of the local communities."

Next comes micro-level planning at the village level, to find out and prioritise people's aspirations and development needs. SDTT programme officer Bhaskar Mittra explains how this works: "TISS, LAHDC and a local team together conduct the micro planning process. The objective is to feed the planning process, by making a plan at the hamlet level and submitting it to the panchayat, which in turn gets it included in the block level and then the district level plan, creating a bottom-up planning approach." Though these activities are currently underway only in the Leh district, the intention is that it will serve as a model that can be replicated in Kargil and other remote and mountainous areas.

Dr Parasuraman adds, "We are also creating village knowledge centres that can integrate the information base, keeping it continuously updated at the individual, family and hamlet level. It will help in identifying the actual social, cultural, environmental parameters, accurately reflecting the condition of the people and measuring any subsequent changes. This is one way of strengthening the peoples' capabilities."

The third project activity is a training programme in sustainable development, to build and develop the capacity of the local people. This year-long diploma programme is open to a wide cross section of Ladakhis. Government officials, unemployed youth and representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs) are all encouraged to enroll. The first batch of 20 students graduated in January 2007.

The programme aims to impart academic and skill based training, to develop a cadre of people that understand issues of sustainable development and think on the same lines. Course subjects range from biodiversity conservation and sustainable eco-tourism to livestock and rangeland management, etc.

It includes fieldwork in rural areas like Changthang, Nubra and Sham, to observe the sustainable development efforts already underway there. Over the five-year project period, the target is to create a team of 100 like-minded individuals who can sustain the work on their own.

Dorjay is very appreciative of the training programme. He says: "During their fieldwork in Leh, the trainees gave a few impressive presentations. There is a perceptible change, and their confidence is clearly visible. We are sure they will infuse a new vigour in their departments when they rejoin work after receiving their diplomas."

A vision for the future
The household survey report will be ready sometime in March 2007, while the micro-level planning may take another year to complete. LAHDC and the TISS faculty members have compiled a 'Vision 2025' document that represents the views, needs and aspirations of Ladakhi society, outlines various local issues and problems and suggests holistic solutions. No other region in the country has ever seen such a comprehensive and democratic planning exercise.

The final findings of both the household surveys and the village-level micro planning will help in revising the Vision 2025 document and make it more authentic. Addressing issues such as excessive dependence on outside inputs, depleting natural resources and the need for reviving people's interest in a land-based economy, it also proposes developing a more eco-friendly and community-based tourist industry, exploring alternative job options for Ladakhi youth — like in the IT sector — developing rural infrastructure and protecting traditional culture and values. In the pipeline is a plan for community-owned and managed greenhouses as well.

Future plans include building up the training programme to make it into a postgraduate course, in cooperation with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal. There is even a long-term plan to promote it as an international programme for neighbouring mountainous countries like Afghanistan, Mongolia and China. This will not only put Ladakh on the international map as a centre for higher learning, it will also bring in high-quality professionals and resources that can boost local incomes.

Dr Parasuraman feels that effective advocacy in a project of this kind is important to change attitudes at the village, district and regional level. Implementing a plan developed from the bottom up will be an entirely different challenge, but he is hopeful since he feels that the Ladakhi people are extremely close-knit and hospitable. Success here would send out a lot of positive signals about how planning can be successfully done at the grassroots by the people.

The TISS-LAHDC development support programme hopes that by creating a sound knowledge database, a workable vision document plan, developing entrepreneurial skills among the youth, and building the capacities of people in the local community, Tashi, Norboo, Lampa and their fellow villagers can create the legacy of a bright future for the generations to come.

Uploaded on March 21, 2007