Turtuk

Turtuk
Turtok
Village
River Shyok
Turtuk
Location in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian-administered-Kashmir
Turtuk
Turtuk (India)
Coordinates: 34°50′49″N 76°49′37″E / 34.847°N 76.827°E / 34.847; 76.827Coordinates: 34°50′49″N 76°49′37″E / 34.847°N 76.827°E / 34.847; 76.827
Country  India
State Jammu and Kashmir
District Leh
Tehsil Nubra
Government
 • Type Panchayati raj
 • Body Gram panchayat
Population (2011)
 • Total 3,371
Languages
 • Official Balti, Ladakhi, Urdu/Hindi
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
Census code 913

Turtuk is a village in the Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir [1] It is located in the Nubra tehsil, 205 km from the Leh town, on the banks of the Shyok River.[2] Turtuk was under Pakistan's control until 1971, after which India gained control of this strategic area.[3][4] Geographically, Turtuk lies in the Baltistan Region and is one among four such villages in India, the other three being Tyakshi, Chalunkha and Thang [5]. It is predominantly a Muslim village, and residents speak languages including Balti, Ladakhi and Urdu.[6] Turtuk is the last outpost in India after which the Pakistan-controlled Gilgit-Baltistan begins.[7] Turtuk is one of the gateways to the Siachen Glacier.[8][9]

Tourism in and around Turtuk

View of Shyok Valley

Turtuk was opened to tourists in 2009. The village offers views of Beautiful Valley, part of the Shyok Valley. Though a Muslim village, there are a few gompas located on the plateau above the Shyok River and there is an old royal house to see in the village. Turtuk is one of the few places in India where one can witness Balti culture, and one can find a few homestays and guest houses in the village. It is the last major village where tourist activity is allowed before the Line of Control.

Attractions

1. Natural cold storage

2. Historic polo ground

3. Ruins of Brokpa's fort

4. Balti Heritage House and Museum

5 Royal house and museum

7. Water mill

8. Blacksmith

9. First mosque built in Turtuk

10. Monastery

11. Mosque (built by Pakistani army)

12. Waterfall

2010 floods

In August 2010, the village of Turtuk was impacted by floods which occurred throughout the entire region of Ladakh.

Indo-Pakistan conflicts

War Memorial in Turtuk

At the end of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, Turtuk came under the control of Pakistan. Three other villages- Dhothang, Tyakshi (earlier called Tiaqsi) and Chalunka of Chorbat Valley, came under control of India.[10][11] India's Ladakh Scouts and Nubra Guards under the command of Major Chewang Rinchen recaptured it during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Rinchen was honoured with a Maha Vir Chakra for his gallantry and a street is named after him in Leh.[12]

In 1999, the two countries once again had a major conflict around this area during the Kargil War. There are a few memorials built in memory of soldiers on Main Road going towards the zero point of the India–Pakistan Line of Control.

Balti scholar Senge Sering states that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has attempted to introduce jihad into this area. The local people are confused about their loyalties because they lived under both Pakistani and Indian control, some of them having served in the Pakistan Army before India's take-over. Many of them also have relatives living across the Line of Control who are subject to intimidation by the ISI. During the Kargil infiltration by Pakistan, some of the local people were suspected to have assisted the infiltrators. The Indian Army took some of them into custody, but later released all of them. The local people are said to be grateful for the consideration shown by the Army and currently support the Army's initiatives such as the Operation Sadbhavana.[13]

Demographics

According to the 2011 census of India, Turtok has 384 households. The effective literacy rate (i.e. the literacy rate of population excluding children aged 6 and below) is 82.53%.[14]

Demographics (2011 Census)[14]
TotalMaleFemale
Population33712429942
Children aged below 6 years343154189
Scheduled caste000
Scheduled tribe1766839927
Literates24992115384
Workers (all)22741953321
Main workers (total)20471840207
Main workers: Cultivators371200171
Main workers: Agricultural labourers211
Main workers: Household industry workers110
Main workers: Other1673163835
Marginal workers (total)227113114
Marginal workers: Cultivators50743
Marginal workers: Agricultural labourers330
Marginal workers: Household industry workers000
Marginal workers: Others17410371
Non-workers1097476621

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Blockwise Village Amenity Directory" (PDF). Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
  2. ↑ "Turtuk, the village on the India-Pak border, is where the clichés stop and fantasies begin".
  3. ↑ "Turtuk Diary".
  4. ↑ "Planning a trip to Ladakh? You just cannot miss these experiences".
  5. ↑ https://thewire.in/123835/turtuk-story-of-a-promise-land/
  6. ↑ http://www.risingkashmir.com/news/turtuk-44-years-of-unwanted-domicile/
  7. ↑ "A 'battle' in the snowy heights".
  8. ↑ "Siachen Factor".
  9. ↑ http://thediplomat.com/2014/04/the-siachen-saga/
  10. ↑ "Turtuk, a Promised Land Between Two Hostile Neighbours".
  11. ↑ "An encounter with the 'king' of Turtuk, a border village near Gilgit-Baltistan".
  12. ↑ Claude Arpi, Have you heard about this Indian Hero?, Rediff News, 22 December 2011.
  13. ↑ Senge H. Sering, "Reclaiming Nubra" – Locals Shunning Pakistani Influences, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, Delhi, 17 August 2009.
  14. 1 2 "Leh district census". 2011 Census of India. Directorate of Census Operations. Retrieved 2015-07-23.

Further reading

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