Context

• The Chinese Army’s intrusion in Chumur and Demchok since January has left Ladakh’s nomadic herding Changpa community cut off from large parts of summer pastures.

Changpa Tribes

• A semi-nomadic Tibetan people found mainly in the Changtang in Ladakh and in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The homeland a high-altitude plateau known as the Changtang, which forms a portion of western and northern Tibet extending into southeastern Ladakh.
• The Changpa of Ladakh are high altitude pastoralists, raising mainly yaks and goats.
• The Changpas rear the highly pedigreed and prized Changra goats (Capra Hircus) that yield the rare Pashmina fiber (Cashmere wool).

Changthangi or Pashmina goat

• A breed of goat inhabiting the plateaus in Tibet, Nepal, parts of Burma and neighbouring areas of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
• It is also known as ‘Changthangi’, ‘Changra”.
• They are raised for ultra-fine cashmere wool, also known as pashmina once woven.
• These goats are generally domesticated and are reared by nomadic communities called the Changpa in the Changthang region of Greater Ladakh.

Pashmina wool

• A fine type of cashmere wool.
• The textiles made from it were first woven in Kashmir.
• Often shawls called shahmina are made from this material in Kashmir and Nepal.
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) had published an Indian Standard for identification, marking and labelling of Pashmina products.
• It has accorded Geographical indication been (GI) tag.