Four years ago Hussain left his mountain home for Ambari, a village 40km from Dehradun where a madrasa propagating Sufi views has been shaping the lives of Balti children for almost 25 years.
The Baltis are an ethnic group native to the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan region. They are originally of Tibetan descent, and in India their scattered population is largely concentrated in parts of Ladakh, including Khalsar, Hundar, Turtuk, Diskit, Nubra, Kargil and Leh. Most of them are Shia Muslims while about 3% follow Tibetan Buddhism.
One Man's Dream
The 'Madrasa Sufia Noorbakshia' in Ambari is a gift from Ali Hassan, a second-generation Balti who settled in Dehradun district post-Partition. On a visit to Leh in 1985 he learned that Balti children in the area lacked basic schooling. So, he organised funds and support to start the seminary in 1998. Hassan passed away a few years ago.
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