The Bamboo Curtain Falls, 1962

Although, the Niti Valley was accustom to outside influences that accompanied the trans-Himalayan migratory economy, major change came with the closing of the border after the India-China War of 1962. With the disruption and complete shutdown of ancient trade routes, the economic condition of the Bhotiya communities began to decline precipitously. Compounding the abrupt halt to cross-border traffic, the Bhotiya lost their prime camping grounds in the Niti Valley and throughout Uttarakhand. Although an increase in road construction and military activity near the frontier did provide some avenues for paid work, the day labour afforded to young village men could not make up for the loss of such a significant part of the local livelihood base.

Saving the Forests, 1974

Moreover, pressures on forest lands by commercial contractors in the 60s and early 70s had further eroded the precarious subsistence existence. With fodder and fuel for in short supply and destructive floods and soil erosion causing more landslides, further commercial exploitation of local forests galvanized villagers to stage a series of historic protests that sparked the famous Chipko movement. In March 1974, women from Lata, Reni, and other nearby villages led by the elderly Gaura Devi chased away axe men that had come to clear cut local forests. News of this successful stand spread to other communities throughout Uttarakhand, putting Chipko firmly on the map as one of the first modern day environmentally-inspired uprisings of the poor.

Era of Heavy Mountaineering, 1976

While the Bhotiya villagers were challenging and adapting to these massive changes in their socioeconomic condition, moves were afoot to open up the Nanda Devi game sanctuary (i.e., the core zone of the NDBR) to expanded mountaineering and trekking. Established by the British in 1939 shortly after the first successful ascent of the Nanda Devi summit, the sanctuary continued to attract international expeditions. However, activity remained light and access rarely granted due to Nanda Devi's proximity to the sensitive border area and cold war intrigue that led to an ill-fated attempt in the 1960s to install a nuclear-powered listening device on the summit.

By 1974, the sanctuary had become a major tourist attraction, with Nanda Devi's popularity among mountaineers second only to Everest. Nanda Devi's West Face in particular gained a reputation as one of the most challenging climbs in the world. For the local Bhotiya communities, this influx of tourists had a salutary affect on their shattered economy with many youth serving as porters and guides and herds entering the inner sanctuary for the first time. Nanda Devi's popularity and mystique increased in spite of a rash of fatalities suffered by expeditions scaling its heights, including the tragic loss of legendary American mountaineer Willie Unsoeld's 22-year-old daughter who bore the mountain's hallowed name.

By 1977, severe ecological damage was already being noticed by scientists. Poachers made forays into the sanctuary and herbs were being extracted in a destructive and unsustainable manner. Dumped successively by mountaineering expeditions, rubbish was accumulating at alarming levels, while scientists became increasingly concerned by the high level of traffic passing through newly opened trekking routes. In 1982, the final year the sanctuary was open, an estimated 4,000 travelers and their porters were treading annually in Nanda Devi.

Closure of Nanda Devi, 1982

Towards the end of 1982, the sanctuary was converted into a national park, effectively putting an end to the tourist trade and any new mountaineering expeditions. Citing environmental concerns, the central government issued the blanket ban in order to save the national monument from further destruction and to allow time for the ecosystem to heal. However, the new statutes went even further, restricting locals from grazing their herds, harvesting medicinal plants, and collecting fallen wood from the forest floor.

Needless to say, the closure of the sanctuary came as a crippling blow to the Bhotiya villagers who had only begun orienting their livelihoods towards the tourist trade. In villages closest to the main gateway into the sanctuary, over 80% of families suffered severe economic hardship due to the ban on tourism. Populations in other Bhotiya settlements continued their gradual decline that began in 1962 with the collapse of their traditional trading systems.

Key References

A companion timeline of the history of Nanda Devi from its first exploration to the present day



More about Gaura Devi and Chipko.