By News Agency of Kashmir
Kishtwar : Many people in Jammu and Kashmir may know about the people of a Village located on the banks of mighty river Chenab who want to maintain a distance even with the population living in their vicinity.
People of Sazar, a village located about 70 kilometers away from far off Paddar tehsil on the other banks of Chenab with a fifteen hundred population, have a very recent introduction with the modern world as only till two years back they were cut off from the outside world with no link to the village located across the River Chenab with a long range of mountains behind.
The choice was their own as they do not like the world on the other side of the river that has since centuries kept them aloof from the world out side.
There is a common notion among the inhabitants of Sazar village that people living on the other side have an eye on the long grass on the slops on their side which they will steal for their donkeys.
With this notion they always opposed the move by government to construct a bridge over to their village.
They dislike people living on the other side and have since long kept themselves away from them for the fear that intimacy with these people would pollute their society and culture.
Anthropologically to be defined as an ancient society setup, these people say they are self sustaining- however the short of salt that they import from this side.
A selected group of people go to other side once in a year and bring stocks of salt after selling their production, generally sheep wool.
Som Nath, a 74 year old man running a tea stall remembers that people of his village strongly resisted the move of Government about thirty five years back to construct a foot bridge over to their village.
“In 1974 Government had tried to construct a bridge but we strongly resisted the move as we do not want any outside interference in our culture” Somnath told this correspondent with strong conviction.
Saroop Chand another inhabitant of the same village said “we never wanted to connect with the people as we are happy within our small world. ”