Permission granted to graze cattle in the high altitude areas of eastern Ladakh, know what the shepherds want

New Delhi : Over the past year, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has allowed grazing activities in the high altitude areas of eastern Ladakh. Grazing activities involving local Rebu (herders) were banned after clashes between the Indian and Chinese armies in the Galwan area of ​​Ladakh in 2020. Officials familiar with the decision said the area for grazing activities has been expanded. The ITBP takes care of the shepherds, their huts and cattle under its border management charter.

limited to these areas

In 2023, grazing in Chushul was restricted to Rezangla, Changa La, T Saga, Kajukonla and Parma areas. This year, grazing has been permitted in other areas including Goswami Hill, Gurung Hill, Yunlung, Lunang, Lungpa, Nangchalang and Yakgang. According to the ITBP, the number of livestock has increased with over 35,000 livestock being recorded this year. However, the shepherds are demanding that restrictions be lifted from other areas as well which were available for grazing before 2020.

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No permission to go near LAC

Lobsang Tashi, who grazes 850 cattle near Dungti, told our sister newspaper Economic Times that the Indian Army does not allow us to go to the forward areas. Earlier we used to graze till the front. Why are they stopping us from going to our own land? We are not allowed to go near Demchok village near the LAC. A security personnel said that due to the undemarcated border on the India-China border, villagers face trouble when they are denied the right to graze their cattle.

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Clash in Galwan in June 2020

At times, cattle enter Chinese territories. This has been a bone of contention between the neighbouring forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). According to India, China has illegally occupied 38,000 sq km of land in Ladakh and claimed 90,000 sq km in Arunachal Pradesh. The undemarcated LAC has been a constant bone of contention. However, both sides have managed it well through protocols contained in the peace and tranquility agreements of 1993 and 1996. China broke that agreement when it amassed a large number of troops near the border. Clashes followed. Eventually, soldiers from both sides were killed in Galwan in June 2020.

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Earlier there was conflict till Sikkim and Arunachal

Confrontation with the Chinese army was previously restricted to Sikkim and Arunachal, while Ladakh was generally more peaceful. In August 2021, more than 100 PLA ​​soldiers crossed the border at Barahoti in Uttarakhand. This caused damage to some infrastructure, including a bridge. In December 2022, the two sides clashed again in the Yangtze near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Here, soldiers from both sides exchanged blows with each other after “hundreds of Chinese soldiers entered the Indian territory”, according to an official statement.