Difficult lives and expressive songs of Himalayan Pastoral Women

Pastoral communities across the Himalayas

If you have watched the movie Lunana: A yak in the classroom, you must recollect the enchanting Yak Lebi Lhadar, a composition illustrating the beautiful bond between a Yak and his herder. When Saldon, in her alluring voice, sings Yak Lebi Lhadar on hilltops, she sings it as an offering to all the beings and spirits of the valley. The Bhutanese movie intricately offers a glimpse into the lives of Yak herders in one of the world's remotest villages. It Portrays a beautiful synergy between people, animals, and nature. Moreover, the movie doesn't shy away from narrating the difficulties and problems faced by the people of Lunana.

The lofty Himalayan ranges are spread across five Asian countries: Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Pakistan. There are many pastoral communities in the five Himalayan countries. And for generations, these pastoralists have herded their flocks of Yaks, goats, sheep, and cows across the foothills of the mountains, alpine pastures and higher altitudes, as seasons change. A tight balance between the populations of people, animals, and natural resources is necessary for this complex and demanding way of life.

A Shepherd with his Yaks Source : Nand Kishore Negi

Shepherds of Kinnaur and Division of labour

Pastoral Communities all over the Himalayas live nomadic, seminomadic lifestyles with mixed farming and herding or transhumance lifestyles with seasonal migration along a fixed route. The division of labour between men and women differs from society to society. In Kinnaur, women played a significant role in pastoral activities. In the past, sheep rearing was the primary economic activity in the region. In addition to being farmers and herders, Kannauras engaged in considerable commercial exchange and commerce with Tibet, their neighbour. Sheep were crucial to trade because they provided transportation and goods like meat and wool.

Sheep grazing :Source Nand Kishore Negi

There existed an interweaving of agriculture, pastoralism and trade. Today the economy has shifted towards cash crops such as Apple. There is little recorded knowledge about the ways of living of the community in the past.

However, the oral traditions of Kinnaur present a key to unlocking the treasure chest containing all this knowledge. So, what are these oral traditions?

Oral Traditions of Kinnaur

The area is rife with myths and legends relating to the people's history and socio-cultural practices. Kannauaras practise their extensive culture and traditions through singing and dancing. And unsurprisingly accounts of pastoral women can be found in their oral traditions.

In the movie Lunana, Ugyen compliments the singing of the shepherds leading him to the village. They respond, "We are herdsmen. We have to sing." Boredom and loneliness are a big part of the herder's life, as evident from their statement; songs and singing cure boredom and loneliness. The terrain and weather change as herders move from one place to another. Two things remain constant their flocks and their songs. This is true for pastoral women of Kinnaur as well. Traditional songs from the area provide insight into the life of shepherdesses, and the music itself has an important value in the lives of these ladies.

In the song, Tsering Mol her flute signifies this relationship. She complains of the difficulties she faces as a 'Palas'. Palas is the Kinnauri word for shepherd. The song begins with her physical description which is compared to that of a man. Sheep rearing is largely a man's job. The song also highlights the relationship of Tsering Mol with nature. In another song, Yumdasi is forced by her mother-in-law to go 'palas' after the sheep. Yumdasi has a newborn baby and is reluctant to go. But is forced to go nonetheless. The distressed woman goes to the peak and complains to the vulture soaring above her head of her misery. She thinks the vulture is lucky that it can fly anywhere. Again the relationship of pastoral women with animals and nature is unravelled. Songs and Oral tradition, therefore, offer a vast scope for research in future.

An Alpine Chough soaring above the sky : Source Nand Kishore Negi

Memories of People and ways of life

My grandmother was a shepherd. With her fifty or so sheep, she would travel large distances on foot, sometimes accompanied by her Ama and my then pre-teen father. It was these sheep that funded my father's education. Later, when my father acquired a job, my grandmother sold the sheep and moved to the city with him. My grandmother is no more. But the money she earned from selling her sheep remains, even a penny untouched. I still remember the melancholic tune she used to hum at times.

My grandmother

My father with my grandmother and my great grandmother

A friend asked me why I care so much about Kinnauri or Kinnauri oral traditions when I am not a fluent speaker. Although my Kinnauri isn't impeccable, the culture that I come from has shaped my thought process to a large extent. I wish my children to have access to our rich culture too. Diversity brings in newer, more creative ways of looking at things. How dull would it otherwise be to live in a world where everyone spoke the same way, wore the same clothes and ate the same food? Make it more organised and take it up a notch; you'd end up in a dystopian nightmare.