CHACHIN, 17 Jul: Chachin Grazing Festival was celebrated with great fervour here by the graziers of Tawang region from 14 to 15 July, with support from the Indian Army.
Chachin and other traditional grazing areas near the Bum La Pass have historically served as the backbone of the local Monpa lifestyle that is largely dependent on nomadic herding – a primitive form of subsistence farming – as a means of livelihood.
The festival included a medical camp for the graziers who often live in remote locations without medical facilities. A veterinary camp was also organised to provide medical support to the graziers’ yaks. “These initiatives were undertaken as an acknowledgement of the significance of the traditional grazing grounds in the Tawang region, both as a contemporary source of local livelihood and as a key fragment of the Monpa historical heritage that has seen multiple generations of
Monpa graziers herding their livestock on rugged terrains through inclement weather to reach their traditional grazing grounds that provide nourishment for their livestock,” Guwahati (Assam)-based Defence PRO Lt Col Mahendra Rawat informed in a release.
The event culminated with a cultural programme that included performances by a local troupe, showcasing the rich pageantry of the Monpa culture, followed by felicitation of local graziers, it said, adding that the festival was attended by nearly 100 graziers “and their herds of yaks numbering more than 400, from the villages adjoining Tawang region, including Lamburdung village, whose graziers share a deep-rooted historical affinity towards the Chachin grazing ground and consider these grounds a historical relic that were used for centuries by their forefathers.”
“The event also served to exhibit the significance of these grazing grounds for the local Monpa community and the zeal and enthusiasm displayed by the local graziers, many of whom traversed long distances with their herds to reach the Chachin grazing ground,” the release stated.