Shyok River

TURTUK : Ride to the northern most village of India.

• Report rights infringement
• published: 31 Mar 2016
• views: 447

“I thought New Zealand was the most beautiful place in the world, but i guess i was wrong. India is nothing less. I think more”, said Nick James, with a laughter, a fellow Kiwi biker whom i met at the khardung La Pass. We rode alongside on to TurtuK-Diskit Hwy for next 160 km to reach Turtuk and we also came across the barren tract of land in the Nubra valley where our Flying Sikh actually did the high altitude training. It was a great journey and at every break from ride, i could see how amazed Navneet, my fellow rider, was.The landscape changed after every minute as we rode towards Leh after crossing Rohtang pass and came across the most astonishing landscapes.Not carrying a camera was a big blunder, we just had our phones to do the much needed task. Drinking water supply was fulfilled by the water streams and appetite for adventure was well fed by the difficult terrains and adverse climate ahead. The fun was further boosted by breathtaking beauty of Pangong lake and tank-ride in Kharoo, where Rohit bhai, who is an officer in defence, was posted. He also managed to arrange a small session to see, hold and understand how the most advanced guns operate. But still the most touching part of the trip was yet to come.Turtuk ! Ever since Turtuk was opened for travelers to visit in 2010, many travelers got a chance to visit this beautiful village after taking written permission from Deputy Commissioner’s office at Leh. I considered myself lucky to get permission before noon and eventually got a homestay at Khan chacha’s Smile Homestay (his house) when i reached Turtuk. A lot has been written about Turtuk and the stories of grief due to separation which was a direct effect of India capturing the four villages (Chalunka, Tyakshi, Turtuk and Thang)of POK, as India stood victorious in 1971 Indo-Pak war. Turtuk is a strategically important area from defence point of view. An Israeli couple and an American national ,Omar, had also managed to arrange homestay at Khan chacha’s place. As the conversation with Khan Chacha about the war times began, he explained us whatever he could recall as he was young during the time of war and we all listened very carefully. The family members of villagers who had gone to visit and stay at their relative’s villages just few km away from Turtuk before 3rd Dec 1971, had been separated from one another due to the war that broke out after Pakistani Air Force launched attack on India. Unfortunately, the separation turned out be permanent, the new boundaries were made with no possibility to cross the borders. I believe it would have been hard for the people to imagine how this new nation was going to treat them. Fearing change was obvious. Time went by and people overcame the pain and fear. The government supports them and Khan Chacha’s son is a government employee who works in regional police force. Khan Chacha also spoke of some religious and human value which were a real take away. He was a great host and i can’t forget the herbal tea that we had at his place. Next morning we did a little tracking to explore this beautiful village beside river Shyok and to just get a glimpse of Pakistan from this end of Inida before we set off to Kargil-Batalik….