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| | DHORATI MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
Munsyari has about 21 villages each has population of about 80 families totaling around 300 people in each with high rate of unemployment, this is in spite of having traditional art of carpet weaving and woolen shawl knitting woolen garments!!!!!!!!!
Dhorati village is 11kms away from MUNSYARI MOUNTAINS at height of around 2700 mts ... Munsyari mountains nearly 650 kms from Delhi is vacational touring spot and famous for snowfall!!!! My trip to Munsyari was unforgettable and heartfelt touching experience. I with my family made a trip from Nainital to see snow fall in mountain. Peak of Pancholi Mountain covered by snow nearly 300 kms from Nainital could be viewed clearly. Munsyari has about 21 villages each has population of about 80 families totaling around 300 people in each with high rate of unemployment, this is in spite of having traditional art of carpet weaving and woolen shawl knitting woolen garments!!!!!!!!! As per request of NARAIN I visited his village. When I parked my car at entrance of the village, I was surrounded by about 10 young boys age about 16 to 26. all of them were 8th and 12th standard educated without employment!!!!!!! I requested one of them Ranjeet sigh unemployed youth to guide me to the village; they honored me as guest and led to the village. There I met Mr. Dev Singh Panchpal who explained as follows 1. Major percentage of population is migrating from Munsyari villages for employment opportunities elsewhere. 2. With small agricultural lands what they have is not enough to make as source of income. Yield they get is hardly enough to feed them. 3. Their traditional carpet / woolen shawl weaving and is fading due to lack of demand for these products. They were main suppliers to Tibet few years back but now the trade is reduced much. 4. One shawl worth of Rs. 2000/- roughly US$ 42/- in pashmina wool he had made 2 years back which is still unsold. 5. Weaving and knitting is only left to illiterate women at home who in spare time do this job. 6. Primary school is one kilometer and junior school 2kms away from that village. 7. Sheep breeding for wool is almost towards end as feeding them has become difficult. Young generation does not want to do this hard job without enough benefit. One more problem is seen is that to feed sheep they need to cover many kilometers to jungle. 8. Munsyari tourist spot has not been much beneficial to local population of its villages What I observed when I was in this village: 1. Due to non-availability of proper employment facility, most of semi- literate and 12th standards are migrating to other states to find better job. 2. In hilly villages agricultural lands are scarce therefore, important have other alternative source of income for survival. 3. Carpets and woolen items they produce are out dated thus tourists take less interest. To add this, Munsyari tourist area does not have any modern stores, which can attract customers. 4. Local area representatives and administration show very less interest to promote villagers products. Though this area is highly beneficial for generation of employment. 5. There is no institution that can train the weavers and knitters to match their products to the taste of International and national tourists. Institution does not need modern technology but needs modern designing of villagers products. 6. Youths mostly do not like to sit on looms as less attractive as a result they prefer other areas of employment click to view pictures http://community.webshots.com/user/sada154
Great independent journalism! Sadashivan, Nice reporting, and like the photo. :) Independent journalists like you with first-hand reporting are what make Indymedia independent! I think it is clear that war would make life even worse for the unemployed and the poor. Sending unemployed youths off to kill themselves and to kill unemployed Pakistani youths is hardly a solution to unemployment. The youths who survive are psychologically scarred, trained to blindly obey their superiors, trained to torture, trained to consider raping women as okay. How will they behave back in the village when the war is over? So, if you're searching for an idea for your next report, how about some photos (and text report) on the pro-peace, anti-war demos being planned in Delhi? Look up the posts on this site and you'll find out who to contact, where to meet etc. It would be encouraging to everybody around the world (not just in India and Pakistan) struggling for peace and full employment to see independent reports on the pro-peace demonstrations. Confederation!!!? confederation is a very good idea, only if there is trust among different nenber states that make up that fedearation. India, as it's right now, can be considered a federation of different states. however, has india even managed to build a long lasting relationship with one of it's states, that is culturally , and ethnically different from the rest of india; kashmir.? the answer is no. india first has to learn how to treat it's neighbours with respect. that includes kashmir. instead of ranting the baseless rhetoric that kashmir is a part of india, and end of story and any further discussion. india should change with the times and grant each region the ability to form their own governments, and that particular region will have their soverignity, and the freedom to chose how much of their soverignity they want to dilute in making a federation. THE FEDERATION WILL RESPECT THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE OF ANY OF ITS MEMBER COUNTRIES, WHICH IS VERY UNLIKE PRESENT-TIME INDIA!!! WHICH SEEMS TO CONSIDER ITSELF ABOVE THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE OF KASHMIR. IT'S A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT IF A PLEBISCITE WERE HELD IN KASHMIR IN THE NEAR FUTURE, MAJORITY OF KASHMIRIS WOULD OPT FOR FREEDOM FROM INDIA. MANY LIKE THIS WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.ANGELFIRE.COM/BC/COTR claim that kashmiris want to form a separate independent country, others like the hurriyat want to join pakistan. I consider the wishes of the people the best course of action. if there has to peace in the south asian region, the kashmiris should be able to form a separate nation. in no time will all the regions think of forming a federation , since there will be mutual trust and free trade between member nations. small countries like kashmir will not have to worry that bigger neighbours like india and pakistan will gobble it again, same thing with nepal, bhutan etc. these rights mutual coexistence will be guaranteed in the constitution of federation, and will not be violated (much like article 370, which has been violated!) free trade between member countries will bring jobs, prosperity and much needed money will be diverted towards devlopment instead of ridiculous skirmishes at siachien glaciers , where no person will ever live!! this all seems so basic to human nature, to live in peace with mutual trust. however i think, india has to take the initiative by granting kashmir it's independence , and because of that, india and kashmir could be the first two members of a federation that would soon be followed by other south asian countries. |