For 60 years, Tibetan pastoralists have been living in the mountains of Sumdho. A glimpse into a boy's life shows his dilemma about whether to pursue higher studies or continue the nomadic way of life that's fast disappearing.
Phunstok Namgyal is 8 years old and wants to go to college. He studies in class 2 at Tibetan Children’s Village School, a boarding institution at Jangthang Sumdho in Ladakh. He is keen on learning the Tibetan language and loves going to school.
At the school, his day starts with waking up at 7 am and getting ready for the school after finishing breakfast at 8 am. The school begins with the morning assembly and prayers, followed by language class and reading hours. He returns to his hostel around 4 pm and plays with other children for an hour-and-a-half. The students have their dinner around 6 pm, after which they engage in self-study for an hour and go to bed by 8 pm.
Namgyal lives at an altitude of 4,522 metres, and once home, he practises the traditional nomadic lifestyle. He began shepherding at a young age with his brother, and the two have grown up singing Hindi film songs while grazing their livestock in the pastures. He enjoys living close to animals and nature.
Namgyal comes home on school holidays, like every second Saturday of the month, and during summer and winter breaks. At home, he has to wake up earlier than he does at the school. He leaves home with packed lunch at around 6:30 am with the flock of animals and heads to the pasture. He spends almost 10 hours with the herd in the mountains.
Both the school and the nomadic way of life impart education, Namgyal said. He is equally drawn to modern education and indigenous knowledge, and realises at this young age that the tradition of nomadism is vanishing.
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Dawa Dolma is a freelance journalist based in Leh. She writes about climate change, communities and culture of the Himalayas. She is a Rural Media Fellow 2022 at Youth Hub, Village Square.
Video edited by Novita Singh
