Root of the matter...

Two youngsters have been striving to bring about a sea change in how the world perceives war-torn Kargil

May 11, 2019 05:00 pm | Updated 05:00 pm IST

Supriya Ram, a 23-year-old Delhi-ite, who completed her degree in tourism, mere days ago, is agog with excitement — she is prepping for her cycle trip around Kargil, along with other 20-somethings she met online. They are united by their interest in trekking to and exploring Kargil. “No more is Kargil merely known for its erstwhile war and strife; there is so much more to this breathtaking place,” gushes Supriya.

And this is precisely what two youngsters — Muzammil Hussain and Tafazzul Hussain — have been striving for, since 2013: to bring about a sea change in how the world perceives Kargil, one stripped of its war-related identity and shrouded in history and esoteric beauty. Through Roots Ladakh, their tourism and social enterprise, set in the heart of Kargil, the brothers have been steadily making a difference. From offering adventure sports, to cultural preservation, by converting buildings destroyed by wars into museums, they do it all.

“We started Roots with a vision to change the preconceived notion of Kargil as a border settlement, and showcase the rich natural and cultural heritage of this Tans-Himalayan region,” explains Muzammil. “For an outsider, Kargil has been misinterpreted or misrepresented, whether through the media or popular consent; it remains largely unknown to the casual visitor.”

Inspiration

“For me, home was always Kargil. I was in class VII, and Tafazzul in class II, when the war broke out. We had to evacuate and find refuge away from the affected zones. I vividly remember the destruction to property and human life the war had caused, not to forget, mental trauma,” reminisces Muzammil. “Eventually, we were sent outside Kargil to continue schooling. Deep down, I always knew that I had to come back some day, and do something fruitful here.”

While pursuing his postgraduation at Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, Muzammil and his brother, who had just finished college, realised that most people had no idea about Kargil — some would even speculate about whether or not it was in India. For them, it became a question of social identity so much so that despite challenges — lack of infrastructure, commercial barriers, and family pressure — they ploughed ahead. Thus was born, Roots Ladakh.

Range of experiences

Apart from offering hikes and adventure sports, the team curates unique educational travel experiences in Ladakh. “They include immersive heritage village experiences, study tours, and exploratory travel workshops in arts, culture, design and architecture,” elaborates Muzammil. “We also promote voluntourism (volunteer tourism), for individuals.”

The enterprise’s strength lies in its ability to convert war-torn buildings into museums, in order to educate visitors. “This is part of a project we had started in Hundurman,” says Muzammil. “Hundurman, an abandoned Purgi settlement in Kargil located at the LOC, came under the territory of India, after the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict. What started as a hands-on architecture workshop, with a few students in 2015, has become popular today.”

What’s more, during the course of this workshop, the rediscovery of this settlement, in the form of artefacts and memories, has evolved into a living museum known as the Unlock Hundurman — Museum of Memories, that demystifies its dominant narrative as a war-ridden village.

The brothers believe that the experience is designed to give visitors a unique perspective of the history and culture of an otherwise unknown border settlement, which stands frozen in time, ever since the families migrated. The homes were opened and brought to life with the help of artefacts ranging from old utensils, books from Lahore, medicines from Germany, and war artillery found on site.

Narrative of war

Muzammil also sheds light on how, the war narrative helped in the process of setting up the museum, but along with the students there, they decided to weave a more human narrative of war through stories of personal lives of people living there. “Our attempt is to let people perceive and explore Kargil beyond the war. For me, the story of Hundurman is also the story of Kargil,” he affirms.

If Unlock Hundurman is an initiative of Roots Ladakh, the execution is, for the most part, credited to the country’s students. “The project is hands-on, and the learning, real-time,” explains Muzammil. He elaborates on how, around 20 students from varied fields — design, architecture, literature, anthropology, and more — worked together, under mentors, to make the execution of the museum, a reality. “They collected data, conducted field research, persuaded locals to narrate their stories, collected artefacts, created an inventory, and decided which exhibit goes where.” he says.

He adds that students also get to take back with them certificates, which will give them an edge over others applying to prestigious universities, in India and abroad. Some students, depending on which college they come from, also earn credits from working on such projects.

Another project that the Roots Ladakh team has invested in is a community-based initiative in a village called Henasku, which used to be a small chiefdom on the Silk Route trail, and has a rich history of folklore and architecture.

“This June, we have planned a 10-day design and architecture workshop to set up a cultural interpretation centre in a 300-year-old heritage building in the village, in collaboration with CEPT University, Ahmedabad. We are also working on Himalayan Brown Bear Project, focused on human-wildlife conflict mitigation, through community engagement. In these projects too, student involvement will be at its peak,” he says, signing off with a satisfied smile

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