SOCIO CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF TULAIL
Tulail is a remote valley in Gurez which lies North of Samshabari in the Greater Himalayan range and is located about 130 kms North of Srinagar. It is situated on the banks of the Kishanganga River (also known as Neelam River) and is bordered by Mushkoh valley and Drass to its East, Gurez valley to its West and Astore District (presently administered by PoK) to the North. It is known for its natural beauty and is called the ‘Hidden Paradise of Gurez’. The region is also known for its flora and fauna most particularly the Himalayan Brown Bear and the Snow Leopard. The main villages present here in Tulail valley are Burnai, Purana Tulail, Sheikpora, Niru, Badogam and Badoab. Chakwali is the last village on the Eastern side of the Tulail valley. It is one of the remotest valleys in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and is connected to Bandipore by the majestic and breath taking Razdhan pass, which remains closed for nearly 6 months during the winter due to heavy snowfall. The valley lies within close proximity to the Line of Control.
Tulail was part of the ancient Dardistan civilization. It was one of the first civilizations to have flourished in the Gurez Valley. During the first half of the first millennium, various archaeological surveys and carvings have shown that Hinduism and later Buddhism were the main religions widespread in the region. The Islamic influence took place around the 13th to 15th century with the arrival of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani at Gurez. Hamadani visited the valley thrice along with seven hundred preachers known as ‘Sadaats’ of these seven hundred preachers seven settled in Gurez, incl Baba Abdur RazaqShah and Baba Dervais, whose shrines are located near the chalet of Fakirpora. The names of the other preachers are unknown, although they also have their shrines located at Chorwan, Bagtor & Dangithal Tulail in addition to Kamri and Dudgai villages, both of which are presently in PoK. The Tulail valley forms a part of the ancient Silk Route which connects East Asia to the West. It is through this route that the people of the valley got their current Islamic influence. The population is mainly Sunni Muslim who belongs to the Shina speaking Dardic tribe. Before the partition, the people of Tulail mainly relied on agriculture, trade and animal husbandry for a living, however after the partition, all trade routes were closed and the once flourishing civilization was pushed into oblivion on to either side of the LC. The ones who could afford to re-locate eventually moved to Bandipore or Srinagar, while the rest settled down to a life of self-sustenance and isolation. Prior to the partition, the valley was a popular destination for foreign tourist’s incl Franklin Delano Roosevelt who is known to have visited the valley before, he became the president of the United States of America. During the 1947-48 Indo – Pak war, the locals assisted the Indian Army against the Kabaili raiders and have since then been loyal to the Indian Flag. A popular folklore has been passed down through the generations of how the people of Tulail revolted against the Pakistani raiders. Legend has it that about 18 persons belonging to the Pakistani militia were looting the villagers, raping the women and forcefully grabbing ration and supplies that the villagers collected from Bandipora with much sweat and toil.
Crossing the pinnacles of tolerance, the locals invited the raiders to a meal and snatched their weapons before killing all of them in cold blood. The Indian Army was then called in from Bandipora to secure the area. Despite fair education standards and reservation/ quota in government jobs, unemployment is rampant in Tulail. Primary occupation of the people includes agriculture and animal husbandry. Being surrounded by the Army and other Security Forces, these forces provide employment opportunities throughout the year to the locals in the form of Porter Company and casual porters. Self-employment is limited and yet to pick up pace due to lack of awareness of government support schemes. To avail the facilities provided by the government, the locals need to be in possession of their Aadhar Card, however, only about 60% of the locals currently have their Aadhar cards. The Army and civil administration are making persistent efforts to ensure that maximum number of civilians register for Aadhar.
During the summers, locals engage in tilling and other agricultural activities. A large number of male villagers get employed as porters with the Army and the BSF while some move to Bandipore and Srinagar in search of occupation and return after the onset of winter while some choose to stay. Productivity is restricted mainly to the summer season. Permanent jobs with assured payments like teachers & government servants are much sought after. The locals enjoy, being engaged in recreational activities like music, dance and sports. Women generally perform all the household chores including cooking, cleaning, gathering of firewood, animal rearing and agricultural duties. Wood being the primary source of fuel for cooking and heating, it is very common to see women carrying 20 to 30 kilograms of wood every day for their daily requirements as well as for winter stocking. A significant number of bakarwals visit Tulail during summers primarily to graze their heard. Most of them arrive from Rajouri during the month of April and generally move out by September. They have fixed locations where they have constructed small accommodations called ‘Dhoks’.
The winter season lasts from Nov to April. Winters here are very harsh with about 10 to 20 ft of snowfall and temperatures dropping all the way to -35 degrees Celsius. This calls for stocking of groceries, firewood and other supplies during the summer. During the winters, the villagers spend most of their time indoors and the activities of the valley remain restricted to local neighborhood. The locals engage themselves in singing, dancing, winter sports and weaving by the ladies. A few also pick up vocational training to utilize the time productively. If the weather is clear and sunny, one can see them come out of their houses to bask in the sunlight. When the weather gets inclement, the villagers remain indoors in the comfort of their home. They burn firewood in small metal drums with chimneys to keep them warm. These heating drums or bukharis as they are called are the lifeline of the villagers during the winters. Traditional heating equipment used is the Kangri. It consists of wood/coal burning in a small earthen pot placed in a cane basket. This basket is then held underneath a thick woolen ‘Kurta’ dress called ‘Pheran’.
The road network is very archaic and limited. It is mostly restricted to the main axis running along the Kishanganga River. The condition of the roads is very poor and there is constant damage due to heavy snowfall and frequent landslides. Electricity is supplied to the villages through a high-capacity diesel generator located at Jurniyal. However, the power is limited and the supply is timed. Electricity is available for two hours during the morning from 0430 hrs to 0630 hrs and for 4 hours in the evening from 1830 hrs to 2230 hrs. There is no permanent sports infrastructure in the valley. The locals generally enjoy playing volleyball and cricket. A high potential for winter and adventure sports exists in the area, however, due to limited accessibility, resources and support the sports infrastructure has not seen adequate development.
Medical infrastructure is severely inadequate. There is only one PHC in Purana Tulail village and has a capacity of three beds. However, the facilities available are limited to treatments of routine ailments. This causes a major issue during the winter when roads are blocked. The civilians then have to rely on civil and army helicopter services for emergency evacuations. A 15 bed hospital has been under construction at PTL village for the past six years; however, the construction has hit a roadblock due to inadequate funds. The education infrastructure is primitive and consists of one primary school, one middle school and one higher secondary school at PTL village. The higher secondary school is provided with one computer laboratory with eight computers and a small volleyball court. A New accommodation for teachers and their families has been constructed at the village. The civic authorities plan to activate the accommodation this year.
Being remote and having limited accessibility, the people of Tulail face numerous challenges. Locals have to walk long distances for basic necessities as available transport network is limited and expensive. Only basic medical facilities are available in the villages, for the rest, the locals have to go to Dawar or Bandipora or even Srinagar for treatment. One of the major problems faced during the winter is the blockage of roads and restrictions in vehicle movement due to the tremendous accumulation of snow and the risk of avalanches. In case of emergencies, the locals have to rely on civil and military helicopter services which too are dependent on the prevailing weather conditions. Due to a limited number of schools and limited facilities in the schools, children are deprived of quality education. A rapidly rising population coupled with lack of opportunities has led to a high level of unemployment. Electricity too is limited to a couple of hours a day and a few villages are yet to be electrified.
Many governmental, non-governmental and local bodies are striving hard for the development of Tulail. The civil hospital set up at Dawar is being upgraded with better equipment so that locals are not required to go to Bandipora for basic diagnostics and treatment. Schools are now being provided with better teaching equipment and new IT infrastructure to improve the standard of education. The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is constructing a hydroelectric plant in Kanzalwan. This plant aims at providing continuous electric supply to the villages. The first Mobile communication tower was set up in Barnoi and activated in Dec 2020. More towers are being set up in the area to provide network connectivity and internet facilities to the locals. The Indian Army has been striving hard to bring about development with its initiatives such as Army Goodwill School for education, doctor on foot drive for medical aid and multiple activities to boost tourism. With the latest District Development Council elections, a sense of hope and positivity has been seen amongst the locals with regard the development of the valley. With enhanced development and impetus to tourism, the locals can finally look forward to becoming a flourishing civilization like it was before.
