Haji Mohd Hussain is the last remaining member of the original settlers.
Situated on a high plain on the left of River Shingo, village Latoo, Kargil was established around 1967 when seven families from the border village of Dreyloung were relocated to the present area. According to Haji Hussain, Life in Latoo is much better than the remote Dreyloung. Latoo is derived from a Shina word meaning "low-lying barren area."
Once, during his youth, Haji Mohd Hussain made a long journey from Dreyloung to Leh to buy salt, a trek that took 9-10 days. The route passed through Hardas, Wakha-Mulbekh, Khangral, Heniskut, Lamayuru, Khalste, Nurla, Saspol, Api Chenmo Thang, and finally Leh. Haji Hussain carried ghee, butter, and apricots from Dreyloung, which he traded in Leh for salt and soda. This trade, which Haji Hussain called "Adla-Badla" or barter, was done only once before the 1965 war.
In those days, the people of the region owned many yaks, which they kept in the mountains most of the time. In Leh, there was a competition among people eager to host them, as payment was made in the form of waste of the animals which Haji and his company traveled with. The salt Haji Hussain purchased was only for personal consumption.
Before 1965, Haji Hussain also made the arduous journey to Sonamarg to buy rice, a trip so difficult that he remembers his legs swelling from the travel. From Sonamarg, he would buy corn, rice, and wheat. In those days, corn was a common food item, though this practice has now disappeared. Haji Hussain carried money earned from selling his livestock, with Rs 1 fetching him 10 kilograms of corn or 1 kharwar (a local unit) of rice. He bought 5 kharwars of rice and the same quantity of corn. At that time, there were no vehicles beyond Sonamarg, and all trade was conducted using yaks or khacchar (pack animals). Haji owned three zhos, two zhomo, and a few cows.
According to Haji Hussain, before the Partition, a few elderly villagers made stone utensils known as "Doltoks". These were crafted from a special stone called "Meltsey", sourced from the Black Mountain near the village of Babachan. The artisans would give the Doltok a rough shape at the source mountain to reduce carrying weight. Once the rough shape was made, the half-prepared Doltoks were carried down to the Dreyloung village on frames known as "Kir-Kir," where the final finishing was done using an iron tool called "Khokor," made by the local ironsmith, known as "Garba." The villagers would then take the Doltoks to distant places for sale, though some customers would visit Dreyloung to buy the Doltoks directly from the source.
Nisar Hussain
Nisar Hussain, 58 years old, is a second-generation inhabitant of Latoo, born shortly after the village relocated to its current site. Nisar Hussain shared insights into a new practice among herders in the Kargil region, where traditional Bakarwal shepherds are now employed and paid a monthly income to care for the entire village's livestock. While the villagers of Badgham, Hardas, Chanigund, and Kaksar continue to maintain their livestock, many communities closer to Drass have gradually abandoned this ancestral practice. In the past, villagers spent much of their time in the hills with their livestock, using their own wool for personal needs. However, with the decline in livestock keeping, partly due to modern lifestyles, there is now a shortage of "Bal" (wool) in surrounding villages. To compensate, they have begun purchasing wool from outside sources, particularly from the Bakarwals.
Nisar Hussain belongs to one of the most affluent families in Latoo and has been a serial entrepreneur throughout his life. As a child, he assisted an old man named Abdullah in an experiment to grow rice in Latoo. However, due to rice's high water demands, they were only able to produce 2-3 kilograms, leading to the abandonment of the experiment. Over the years, Nisar tried his hand at various trades, from welding to working as a bus conductor and driver.
Nisar Hussain is recognized by the Department of Agriculture as a “progressive farmer.” In Latoo, he grows "Nas" (barley) and "Toe" (wheat) in March. "Nas" is harvested by the end of July, and "Toe" is harvested 15 days later. After that, it's time to grow "Chaa" (jowar) and "Tsey-Tsey" (bajra), which are harvested around late September. Raw "Nas" is used for making "Roti," while roasted "Nas" is used for "Kholak" and "Pabha." "Toe" is mainly used for "Roti," though it can also be roasted to make flour for "Kholak," though this is rare. "Chaa," considered a warming food, is used for making "Thukpa" and "Pabha" and is believed to help cure coughs and chest problems. According to Nisar Hussain, "Chawal" can be made from "Chaa" by slowly grinding it in a stone cup to remove the chaff without breaking the grain, resulting in a stickier rice compared to regular rice. "Tsey-Tsey" is primarily used for "Kholak" but has an alternate use in treating chronic back pain and boils—10-12 kilograms of "Tsey-Tsey" are used to prepare a mattress-like layer for the patient to sleep on.
Nisar also grows more than 14 varieties of fruits, including "Naspati," "Alu Bukhara," "Aaldu," a Kashmiri apple called "Bumchold," used for making pickles, "Khubani," 3-4 varieties of apples, 2 types of cherries, and strawberries. His wife sells these fruits, along with vegetables, in the Kargil market.
Nisar Hussain at Denmo, a rock resembling a demoness holding a child.
This rock serves as the traditional boundary between Latoo and Karkit villages, with the Shingo River in the background."
In 1985-86, while transporting goods for the Food and Civil Supplies department to Zanskar in his vehicle, he began experimenting with various business ideas. During his trips to Zanskar, he started purchasing "Bal" for personal use from the locals in Sani, Abran, Phey, and Zangla. His family back home would then use the wool to make socks, mufflers, caps, and vests. This experience opened his eyes to the business opportunities Zanskar offered in the 1980s. He began purchasing butter, peas, "Phukma," and grass from Zanskar to sell in the Kargil region. At that time, he drove a low-powered "1210 (Bara Dus)" vehicle that could barely carry 6 tonnes of weight, so the scale of his business was small. Additionally, payments from contractors for the loads he transported to Zanskar were often delayed, limiting his cash flow for further purchases.
Back then, "Bal" was available for just Rs 20 per kilogram, compared to the current price of Rs 200-300. Nisar could only afford to buy about 10 kilograms for personal use. He also bought butter, peas, "Phukma," and grass, with notable profit margins—ghee, for instance, which he bought for Rs 25 per kilogram, was sold for Rs 60-70 in Kargil. However, due to limited cash, his purchases were small.
Nisar struck gold when he realized the potential in buying donkeys from Zanskar and selling them in Kargil. He purchased donkeys for Rs 200-250 from Zanskar and sold them for Rs 1000-1200 in Latoo and nearby villages. Soon, others in his area recognized the opportunity and began competing with him. The last donkey he bought cost Rs 8,000, which he sold for Rs 18,000. Nisar always preferred male donkeys because female donkeys could not be used during pregnancy or when their foals were young.
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