Stanzin Saldon

Sharmila Joshi

Editor

large_01-Pic_1-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

medium_01-Pic_1-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

small_01-Pic_1-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

thumbnail_01-Pic_1-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

01-Pic_1-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

When walking down the main market road in Kargil, a narrow winding lane branches off, with small shops on either side. Colourful scarves and
 
 dupattas
 
 flutter on display outside each shop here – and inside is a varied collection of
 
 salwar kameez
 
 sets, sweaters, accessories, footwear, kids&#39; garments and other items.
 
 This is Commander Market, so called, locals say, because the land the shops stand on is owned by a ‘commander’. The shopkeepers here are all Shia women.
 
 Kargil is located close to the border in Ladakh, and flanked by the Himalayas. It was an important southern node in the Central Asian silk route trade until 1947, when borders were drawn between India and Pakistan. The town’s population of around 16,000 (Census 2011) mainly comprises Muslims, along with some Buddhists and a few Sikh families. They have, over the generations, seen three wars, the last of them in 1999.
 
 The first shop run by a woman came up at Commander Market – it got that name later – nearly three decades ago. The shop owner faced severe opposition and vilification, the present shop owners says, which is why they don’t want her to be named. Over time though, inspired by her determination and success, 2-3 more women rented spaces at the same location. Now, there are around 30 shops at this market, all but three of them run by women.
 
 From scarcely any women in public places in Kargil until even a decade ago, Commander Market is now an uncelebrated landmark. The younger shopkeepers here attribute the change to an increase in female literacy (from around 42 per cent in 2001 to 56 per cent in 2011). Plus, the older shopkeepers say, their economic independence drew more women to the market – some out of a compulsion to earn, some inspired by their predecessors. Kargil, they say, has now accepted this change.
 
 When I visited Commander Market for this photo essay, a few women avoided the camera, some were concerned about their photographs being published, and some did not want their full names to be used. But most of them were happy and proud to share their stories.

02-Pic_2-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

03-Pic_3-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

04-Pic_4-Crop-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

05-Pic_5-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

06-Pic_6Crop-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

07-Pic_7-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

08-Pic_8-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

09-Pic_9-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

10-Pic_10-Crop-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

11-Pic_11-Crop-SS-The_Commander_Heights_of_Kargils_economy.jpg

The Commander Heights of Kargil's economy

கார்கில் பொருளாதாரத்தில் கமாண்டர் சந்தையின் பங்கு

କାର୍‌ଗିଲ ଅର୍ଥନୀତିର କମାଣ୍ଡର ଶିଖର

कारगिलच्या अर्थकारणाची ‘कमांडर’ शिखरं

करगिल में अर्थव्यवस्था का शिखर

کرگل کی بلند اقتصادیات

ಕಾರ್ಗಿಲ್ಲಿನ ಆರ್ಥಿಕತೆಯ `ಕಮಾಂಡರ್' ಉತ್ತುಂಗಗಳು''

কাৰ্গিলৰ অৰ্থনীতিৰ কমাণ্ডাৰৰ দৰে উচ্চতা

Kargil

At present, we can only accept donations in Indian rupees by Indian citizens. All donations made to the CounterMedia Trust are eligible for exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Here is a copy of our exemption certificate.


India is bigger than New Delhi. And people need to know more about the rest of this vast nation.


Younger, media-saturated generations are growing up knowing little about their country, but a lot about the elites of a few metros and towns. For a narrowly-owned, commercially-driven media, the dumbing down of a nation is part of standard operating procedure. The last available data of the Centre for Media Studies (CMS, Delhi) show us that reports from New Delhi account for 66 per cent of news on the front pages of major dailies. The CMS data also found that just about 0.24 per cent of front page news came out of rural India. The TV channels are not much better.PARI exists to change that.We are a non-profit organisation. We publish under creative commons, and do not charge readers a subscription fee or put-up advertisements. Nothing is behind a paywall and we are completely free-to-access by anyone. We guard our independence and receive no direct grants from governments and corporations, nor any funding that could dictate our content. So, we are dependent on volunteer labour, donations from individuals, foundations and institutions that see value in independent and free media.PARI is changing the way Indian journalism reports and documents the rural.India is more than the elite of a few metros and towns. We report on rural lives and livelihoods, languages, communities, migrants and more. We need your help to pull off this most ambitious of Indian journalistic endeavours. The scale of this effort costs money. Donate generously - and spread the word about PARI.&nbsp;

Donate FAQs


Let’s get you acquainted

Welcome to PARI

All our content is, and will forever be free to consume. If you enjoy our work, you can support us by becoming a volunteer or by donating to help fund our work.

Want to republish this article? Please write to <a href="mailto:zahra@ruralindiaonline.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">zahra@ruralindiaonline.org</a> with a cc to <a href="mailto:namita@ruralindiaonline.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">namita@ruralindiaonline.org</a>

The Commander Heights of Kargil's economy

This extraordinary market in Kargil, Ladakh – where all but three shops are run by women – has inspirational tales embedded in its origins and success

Related stories

A rain-scented walk in Sivagangai

Living on ravaged land

Biswas and the bamboos on his bike

Recycling energy, Godda style

Bhadels of Goa

Pookadai: still throbbing with morning life

Koli Kadlas

Malnourishment high among children of migrants: study

Wheels of the rural Indian West

Living Under a Red Cloud in Bellary

Vedla – earrings of the Maher community

Dreaming of water, drowning in debt

Kali: the dancer and his dreams

Farmer's diet worse than a convict's

In Yavatmal, life goes on

Suicides are about the living, not the dead

Death of a carpenter

Hoisa Shigmo!

Women farmers: weaving a life in Anantapur

Defiant in Dhinkia

Spice and all that's nice

Kerala's Green Army

The ‘jugaad’ not-a-mobile

Health as someone else's wealth

Calibrating in a Kudumbashree assembly unit