Save the walnut trees-letter
The Kalash Community who were once the rulers of our
district Chitral are now fighting against the economically
exploiting segment of our community. Because Kalash Community is
economically weak, backward and illiterate, so to make ends meet.
they sell their lands as well as other precious belongings including
Walnut trees.
During this time of prize hike and inflation, they have sold these
trees to the contractors form down country and these people have
started cutting these trees to carry away and sell in the market.
These trees because of their natural beauty attract tourists to
their valleys. Usually a family can earn 7 to 8 thousand rupees per
year from a single walnut tree by selling the nuts.
During their reign in 1322 AD on ward ,the
population of Kalash community was 150,000 and now less than 3700
Kalash people are living in the three valleys. During the govt of
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, through an executive order Z.A Bhutto stopped
the cutting of walnut trees and allocated funds after paying to the
contractors all the trees were returned to the Kalash people.
As these people have a very unique cultural and
tradition for the last so many centuries, they haven't changed their
life style and still follow their centuries old customs and
traditions, and because of this, they attract millions of tourists.
Our govt as well civil society including NGO’s should strive to
protect this community from greedy predators.
Bashir Hussain Azad
Chitral