NOMADIC LIFE OF SOONE-WAAL (Gold accumulators)

 For a long, I was longing to meet and inquire about the people who live alongside the Indus river inside tattered shelters on scorchy sunny days of summer and spine-chilling winter. They are locally called SOONEWAAL which means Gold accumulator. Their way of living and spending life intrigued me to visit them and garner information about their profession, background, way of earning, and disparities. subsequently, I planned my visit to Rahimabad Gilgit. I started my journey while taking some sweets for the small kids who are usually seen on the roads, begging, and collecting garbage. When I went closer, a young smart boy was looking at me disconcertingly, I waved my hand at him, and without giving it a second thought, he came to meet me barefooted. His shimmering bright eyes glittered at me from a tanned face showing a row of white teeth. I greeted him, introduced myself, and took his permission to talk about his lifestyle. He welcomed me and delightedly gave his consent and said, ‘it is alright, we can sit and talk’. He was a handsome man of medium height with a fair complexion but due to poverty, his dress was untidy and messy. My first question was, can he speak URDU, he again smiled and said, ‘yes definitely’! Meanwhile, I opened my diary and we sat on the stones nearby the gushing Hunza River and started our discussion.  

 

·       Would you kindly introduce yourself? 

My name is Riaz. I am 32 years old. I belong to Juglote Gilgit. I have got three brothers; I am the oldest one. I am married and have five children. I lost my seven-year elder son two years back, while playing at the riverside, he fell into the river and lost his life. 

 

·       Tell me about your background, when did you start working in this field?

It is our ancestral profession. My forefathers used to do this, later my father was also working as a SONEWAAL, but due to deteriorating health condition, he quit this vocation and nowadays stays at home, because he is suffering from prostate gland enlargement. Initially from my village, so many people were into this, later they abandoned as It needs stern efforts and indefatigable perseverance to stay inside these worn-out tents scarcely and play with water throughout the year.

 

·       Do you own lands and houses back there in your village?

If I will talk about myself particularly, I don’t have such properties. Some people do have lands as well as personal houses in the village. But most of us are homeless. This mighty river is the only source of income for us. 

 

·       How would you know that there is gold inside the water, which strategy are you using for that?

For that purpose, we have got a small wooden tray. We put sand and water on it and keep on shaking it. In the last stage, if we get sand and gold particle left behind, then it is a positive sign. Otherwise, we don’t waste our time and energy in that place. 

 

·       In which part of Gilgit Baltistan, there is a good quantity of Gold in the river?

In Bagrote valley and Nagar valley, it is found in abundance. Secondly, it depends on the quantity of water as well. In summer, it is hard to find gold in the river, after September and October the water level goes down and that is a perfect season for us. 

 

 

·       For how long you will stay here in this place (Rahimabad)?

It depends. We don’t live permanently in one place. We keep on traveling and changing places. Here I guess we will spend four months and then hopefully will go to Nagar. Nowadays, due to muddy water, we are not working in the river, we are here to work in the fields, as it is potato ripening season. Although, we travel throughout Gilgit Baltistan. We go to Ghizer, Astore, Nagar even sometimes to Broghal valley as well. There is a good quantity of Gold inside Broghal river. But it is very far away, it needs around 40 to 50k to travel to that area, which is quite costly and unaffordable for people like us.

 

·       Most of us are of the view that you people are having a gold business, so you are earning a lot of money as Gold is one of the most expensive metals. To what extent this notion is valid?

Yes of course! it is a profitable business, but it is not like, every day we go to the river and find gold. Sometimes, we come back offhanded. Secondly, if luckily, we find gold, it is of trivial quantity after going through a lot of struggle and hardships. Therefore, to meet our day-to-day requirements, we take advance payments from the contractors and later pay them back by selling the gold.

 

·       Would you mind telling me, what is your monthly income?

It is hand to mouth and hardly covers our daily expenses in this financial straitened time. If I will tell you the exact amount, it is 30 to 40k per month. throughout the week, we work on the riverside, and each Friday, we sell it out in the market.

 

·       In this hot weather outside, how would you survive inside these shabby dilapidated shelters? Don’t you think life is tough?

There are no words to describe the pain and terrible life we are going through. It is hell inside during summer and winter. But what shall we do! There are no other options. We are using solar panels for lighting purposes, and we don’t have mobile phones and other gadgets, we are still living in the era of the stone age. 

 

·       You are very young, how come you got married so early and have five children Mashallah! Don’t you think two to three children are enough nowadays?

With a gleaming smile on his face, I got married at an early age. I prefer conjugal life, as it abstains a person from different sins. As far as your second part of the question is concerned, I agree with you, that fewer children mean less burden but at the same time, I rely on God almighty for the safeguard and protection of them as the best custodian and guarantor of every creature is.

 

·       What are the difficulties, you face in day-to-day matters?

With a long sigh!! I wonder from where I will take a start, there are innumerable difficulties we are facing: firstly, we don’t have adequate access to basic amenities due to the limited income, such disparity in lifestyle is no less than obscene. 

Secondly, our elected representatives do nothing for us. when it comes to the election, they frequently visit these torn-out tents and make fake promises to provide us with shelters and other commodities. Once they get elected, they don’t bother to talk to us. when we visit their offices for Benazir cards and tents, they don’t allow us inside their offices.

The tents we are living in have been purchased from the affectees of the earthquake and other disasters. Thirdly, we are not given flour on quota as you know, we are the most deserving and needy people in the society to be given subsidy, but it is a far cry. We are purchasing it from the local market which is quite costly. In addition to that, in some parts of the river people don’t allow us to stay and work. They are asking us to leave and not to use the river. There are some other issues as well, but I believe it is not the platform to discuss about them. Anyhow, thank you so much for visiting us and listening to our problems and disparities.