By Massam Kawa

The longer I stayed in Agora, the more I started to think about why people decided to settle here in the first place. Many aspects of Agora are similar to countries I’ve already visited, but there are many things in this village that I’ve never seen or heard of before. 

 The Garhwali who came to Agora 400 years ago were natives of the plains that needed a place to escape from the Mughals, an Afghan Muslim empire that was chasing out people who opposed their growing empire. They persecuted the Garhwali due to their religious and territorial opposition. For a while, the Garhwali cordially lived amongst the Mughals, but had many disputes over the years. They fled through fields and mountains until they settled in Agora. Agora was at that time a disconnected but fertile valley – a place to escape from the Mughals because of the strategic advantages the mountains brought.  Agora would prove a nice place to escape for others like Tibetans for years to come.

Agora provided a dense and complex environment with tall mountains and flat hillsides, making it hard for Mughal forces to get them. The hillsides and water sources helped the Garhwali to find refuge and resources, while remaining concealed amidst the Mughals. They weren’t only hiding from the Mughals, but also thriving from the resources at hand. Even today, there are tensions between Muslims and Hindus being stoked for political gain, but I’ve seen people living peacefully amongst each other. On the way to dotidal, I saw people living in a shack made of sticks and cloth. I learned that they were a group of nomadic Muslims herders who would soon be moving to a different location. The next day, when we were coming back from our hike, they were gone.

Conflict has characterized part of the history of this region and China and India later had a border conflict in 1962 known as the Sino-Indian War. The primary causes for this were territorial disputes over the Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh region. The conflict was dealt by massive battles under difficult mountainous conditions. The war had drawn all its weaknesses on the Indian military’s preparedness and strained Sino-Indian relations severely.

Agora is certainly a good place to settle compared to other places I’ve lived in. The landscape provided to these people seem to fit their needs perfectly. The hillsides are great for growing crops, and for building houses and temples. I see people working hard in the fields every day, which is very different from the area I come from. Winnipeg, Manitoba, is very cold almost all year long, and is not the best place for growing certain crops and herding water buffalo. Niger is very dry and one of the hottest regions in the world, but Agora has lots of trees and vegetation. 

This is certainly one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had. It’s unique because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mountain this high, much less imagined living in one. Agora has mountains and rivers so beautiful that any picture you took could make for a great postcard. It just goes to show how the geography in every country shapes its needs and plays a big part in people’s lifestyle. Sitting in the lodge and seeing huge mountains in the background and hearing the waterfall was very calming to me and I began to understand why people would want to settle here.

Sitting in front of Bharat Lodge, seeing the mountains cup the valley, a waterfall down their side, the green grass of the terraces, and the clear sky, I feel I have begun to understand why people have chosen to settle in this place.

I believe this experience has helped me an ahead for my own future. Imagining places I might want to settle, with features just like Agora.