Is Hunza a money-oriented society?
Northern Pakistan is home to many wonders of the world from KKH to the highest peaks of the world all situated in the north. Up until 20 years or so, the north was unexplored, due to the harsh road conditions and fewer facilities in the north, not many people preferred this kind of adventure, but rather it was just a dream of theirs to explore the north one day. The flow of tourists was very rare and the locals lived a very simple life. The north was a mysterious place even for Pakistanis, as they only heard about it for years but never explored it. After the tragic incident in 2010 formed attabad lake which soon became a tourist spot, and since then Hunza has developed into a commercialized hub of various people. Now that the roads and infrastructure have improved in the last 20 years it has become very easy for people to travel. before the formation of the Babusar road, people had to travel in buses for as long as 16–18 hours from Islamabad to Gilgit through Kohistan which was very inconvenient but now times have changed. People prefer to travel by air or privately booked cars which are very convenient and affordable means of transport the infrastructure is still being improved and carving roads through mountains seems like an impossible task but the Chinese have outdone it and turned the impossible task into a possible one. Chinese have played a very vital role and the amount of debt Pakistan owes to china is unimaginable.
Since the start of the developing projects, the flow of tourists has increased and crossed more than millions, especially after covid, millions of tourists ventured to the north but of course, it is both good and bad news both. bad in a sense, due to the lack of no proper law and order the peace of the region disrupts. Hunza was once an isolated indigenous valley that has now become commercialized completely, especially the most affected areas are aliabad and karimabad. The locals themselves are fed up with the new changes, their normal usual life routine has been disrupted but at the same time, their lifestyle has taken a big sharp turn and has become much easier than what we knew was 20 years back or so. the real question is, is Hunza turning towards a money-oriented society? not just Hunza but the whole north itself is already a money-oriented society.
On one note some locals who run businesses here earn a fortune from the flow of tourists, their livelihood solely depends on the flow of tourists but when winter hits the very same business goes down with a huge loss. there are lots of issues on the rise and lots of adverse effects of this. The flow of tourists is indeed good news for the business owners but what about the locals how has it affected their lives? due to poor law and order, how difficult normal lives of locals has become?
The first and foremost issue on the rise is of losing cultural identity or lifestyle .back in the day the locals used to depend on agriculture and rearing live-stock it was the only thing everybody had in common, of course, it required a lot of hard work but that hard work proved rich for them in terms of health, Hunza is still known for their longevity and the secret lies within their hard-work and diet. people had a very active lifestyle let’s say 20 years back but slowly it’s getting over now people prefer to opt for the easier way, instead of growing their wheat they opt for the market wheat, majority of the people do depend on the wheat that gets exported from Punjab but here’s the highlight the very same areas this year got badly affected by floods which resulted in a shortage of wheat/food. Uncertainty lingers on our heads, and now that our lives have become easier people are not willing to go back to their life 20 years back.
Another issue that surrounds cultural identity is demolishing traditional homes. On my recent visit to Hunza, I came across many traditional homes that fascinated me. from the built-in stone fireplace, the wooden carvings, and beams laid over one another which proves to be an energy-efficient rooftop, and much more which are now being replaced by RCC homes and concrete buildings.
Concrete buildings are a huge threat to the environment, especially the mountains and due to the increasing number of inhabitants, deforestation is on the rise, leading to the next issue. Juniper is no longer available for sale, deforestation has affected the soil as well contributing to landslides .that connects us to the big ongoing issue of the lands for lease. Aliabad is practically sold off as a whole at this point, there is no place left untouched but rather there are hotels, hotels, and hotels everywhere. the aesthetics of the mountains are completely lost it rather looks like a commercialized factory place, not the village that it used to be years back and the locals have given lands on lease and sold to some extent.
the “madal gan”, a very famous road carved into the mountains that are now becoming a hot tourist spot with so many hotels, according to a source the maximum limit of floors is 3 but a hotel on the very same road has built a 5-floor hotel with an elevator on the out for aesthetics and now are refusing to break it down this here shows how poor the law and order is. Can we protect our identity that is in danger? when the law and order cannot stop them from doing something against .the authorities are at fault here. locals give the lands on lease for 10–20 years but what after that? will the building owners be willing to leave the land after spending a fortune on building and running their businesses ? the answer is unknown.
On the other hand, some business owners expressed their opinions in such a way that they will build hotels but smartly, for example, they will use materials such as wood and stone that could later be taken back when the building gets demolished after the termination of contract since concrete can’t be taken. another reason why the investors are willing to get the land on lease for 10–20 years is that the spot at present is now becoming a tourist spot after 20 years it will be even more crowded and people will no longer prefer it and go for exploring even more further to the isolated areas so after the very same 10–20 years they will also move on along with their business to the isolated areas of the north and at present, this is the same issue we are turning a blind eye to. we have to stop and protect before it gets too late. before they exploit the rights of the locals and invade the peacefulness of the area and even so if they do, there must be a proper code of conduct, law, and order so that the lives of locals there, may not be disrupted. we are turning a blind eye to a very big issue, there will come a day when every corner of it will be invaded and disrupted.
people will forget and lose their indigenous cultural identity and if locals want to still do this they should opt for a more lawful way. Hunza is rich with so much cultural identity but seeing the locals lose their identity is very remorseful. from losing to the traditional house to invading the uninhabited areas of the north these issues are very disturbing and concerning .here is where the role of government comes but it’s a shame there is no corporation or a system in this region, the government has no idea and unable to tackle the issue .according to the sources in Gojal the locals don’t give lands on lease and their community is much more united than what we get to see in Hunza .in midst of all the development and modernization we are losing an indigenous culture which was unexploited from the very longest times. the locals are frustrated by this situation and they have no choice but to accept it. they have no source to voice their thoughts, and the unity among the community is getting weaker and weaker. it truly is heading towards a money-oriented society, of course at a point the locals are at fault too. the mountains are losing their beauty, they have become dull. the villages are no longer the same. Duikar has become another hub of hotels.
the invasion is real, before we regret the cultural invasion we must come together and establish a proper law and order that everyone would agree on. the culture and identity of the locals are at stake which was once considered an indigenous culture that is now endangered. I believe the youth is much further away from these issues, we need to spread awareness to prevent disputes in the future. even if the locals want to sell off or lease the land they can do so but with proper law and order which is the responsibility of the government to take. where will the locals go on this tiny piece of land when everything gets sold off .as the youth we must protect our culture and language, even the smallest steps will bring a big change. the government plays a big role and it’s high time they formulate a plan to overcome the rising issue. due to climate change, the glaciers are melting this is another major issue that is not being talked about, in 10 years when glaciers will melt more and more, there will be a high risk of flooding just as floods affected the north this year in the summers of 2022. many people lost their livelihoods and homes, many got displaced. we are a part of this society but at what cost?
While talking to the foreign investors and hotel owners they expressed their remorse as they are observing Hunza’s future is moving towards destruction in all ways. if we do not take steps towards preserving our cultural heritage, in the next upcoming years the cultural heritage will completely blend in and will be lost. The once-indigenous culture will only exist in books. In the end, everyone plays an equal role to stabilize, though we can’t turn things as they were years back we can improve the situation together, we can come forward as one community, and the local lawmakers can look into the matter. we are not oppressed at the hands of the government, we can create a change if we come together, we can save our culture and roots from disappearing, and together we can save the north from greater destruction that is threatening our future generations.
Read more about the traditions, culture of Hunza, and poetry stayed tuned with me. to connect with me catch me on Twitter @lostsoup101 or Instagram @_tales_of_thelost. bringing you indigenous stories straight from the mighty mountains of the north! along with my passion for writing, I love taking pictures too.
