A View from Washington D.C. (via Jammu)

Tonnes of Salute for your Channel 

(referring to my youtube channel: tanveerandkashmir)

Dear Tanveer (I hope thats your name),

This is J S from Washington DC. I am 30 yrs old and I was born and bought up in Jammu, India and spent a large part of my teens traveling around the beautiful state of Jammu Kashmir on Indian side. My grandparents were from Chakothi, AJK and they always talked about the good times it was under british. There was rule of law and order and corruption was unheard of. It was so much fun to hear about the life before 1947 from their own words. 

Luckily I came across your channel and I was so happy to see videos of your sojourn in AJK. Your videos have just put visuals on the stories I had heard. I personally wish the partition had never happened and even better if J&K had become an independent nation. I cannot believe how the language, daily life and culture are so same. If I close my eyes and listen I wont be able to judge if its an Indian Kashmiri or Pakistani Kashmiri speaking. I really appreciate your work and the motivation behind it. You are really in love with your people and its amazing.
Please carry on the good work.

Warm Regards
JS

Open Letter Demanding the Release of Baba Jan Hunzai

Shame on us (Kashmiris who talk about the rights of 84,471 sq. m) for not addressing this issue yet. Meanwhile, many thanks to activists in Pakistan and elsewhere who've highlighted this activists' detention. I think a delegation of civil society activists should arrange to meet the 'Powers That Be' in Pakistan and secure his release. Knowing this case, he will not be released without civil society intervention.

Here is a summary of his ordeal, which includes a list of notable thinkers who have joined the campaign for his release. Please also sign the petition embedded in the link below:

Open Letter Demanding the Release of Baba Jan Hunzai

Freedom of Movement across the LOC

Is it possible? Tomorrow may spring a surprise.

Tried contacting the UN's Political Affairs Dept. all day (New York's day that is) over the telephone....No luck, do they not work on a Friday? Are they all Muslims? I doubt it! Let's see what transpires tomorrow...A prominent PK channel will also be covering events at Seri - Khuiratta. The UN's Secretary General is in the region too and he's already given a strong statement in reference to the will of the people of Kashmir earlier today. Not to forget that PK's ISI is also working hard to subvert whatever is planned by JKNSF for tomorrow. Oh and last but not necessary least, Yasin Malik is due in Kotli on Sunday.

The letter that we wrote to them is available to read at the following link:

Seeking the advice of the UN's Political Affairs Department in crossing the LOC

Earlier in the month we had met the UNMOGIP representatives at their Kotli office where we handed them a memorandum from JKNSF (Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation) and also discussed our legal right to meet our brethren in Jammu:

.....

Kammi - Son of a Potter

Kammi; Son of a potter « azharmushtaq

Solidarity with Kashmir from a concerned Pakistani Citizen

Assalaam o Alaikum

Hopefully you will be fine and enjoying the struggle of Kashmir Independence. 

Its nice to see you struggling and striving for the independence of Kashmir which is the paradise on earth.

In my view the only solution of the Kashmir issue is the combine Kashmir and the indian occupied and Azad Kashmir both should be combined to make it a new country. Algamation with Pakistan or India is not possible and that is not the solution.

It is in the supreme interest of Kashmir, Pakistan and India to make Kashmir an independent country and to make is a democratic state.

Infact Pakistani and Indian politicians are using Kashmir as Political weapon and its their vote bank and playing fool with their fellow men.

Every Pakistani and Indian Government has deepen the problems of the Kashmiris and believe me the world powers such as USA< Great brittian and other forces dont want Kashmir's independence and with the solution of this issue there will be no military importance of the area.

Pakistan and Indian governments are using Kashmir to take AID from different countries and NGOs.

I appreciate your sincere efforts and wish you all the best for your struggle.

May! Allah bless you with success. Ameen Sum Ameen.

Married to the Devil

I'm really angry, disappointed and dismayed with AJK journalism's implicit liasion with the forces that block our progress...Here's one good reason why...


As I get ready to sleep after a gruelling day that followed a night of working on our national cause (hence no sleep for over 40 hours), I'm still coming to terms with a request cum veiled threat from an AJK Journalist earlier this evening; asking me and then insisting that I delete a Youtube video interview that I done with him. If a journalist in this age of social media wishes to censor his most precious tool (his voice) and restrict his right to freely express his opinion on a public issue, less his coveted job comes into question: then he must change his profession. 


For how much longer are we going to sacrifice our national question (cause), surrender our right to control and own our destiny for fear of personal progress being jeopardised? My final answer to him was a resounding NO. (Details of SMS to him will be up on maloomaat.net shortly) 


A neutral Kashmir 
Zindabad!

Post Updated (09/11/2018):

Ref. ZABMUN : From Kashmir to Palestine, students talk about diplomacy

This is an article published on the 11th of this month and needed to be added, as it has a rare example of a Swiss diplomat talking at a public gathering, in the most unusual of countries: Pakistan.

The news item hyper-linked above begins with, 

“It is all about neutrality,” said Elizabeth Bucher, the Consulate General of Switzerland and chief guest at the annual Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Model United Nations (ZABMUN) that opened on Thursday. “This helps Switzerland evade war and internal conflict.”

End...

At the time, I couldn't help writing this in a prominent news group:

CAN YOU SHOUT A BIT LOUDER PLEASE! 

THE GOVERNMENTS OF INDIA, PAKISTAN AND THEIR AGENTS IN KASHMIR CAN'T HEAR YOU!!

 

Regards

Tanveer Ahmed

End...

Awami Raj in early years (1947) was a complete travesty! (Guest Post)

Professor Manohar Nath Tikoo (Narrator)

The State was under dual control; Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah an emergency Head and Mehar Chand Mahajan the Prime Minister of J&K State, headed by Mahraja Hari Singh Bahadur, Mahraja Jammu Kashmir Ladakh Gilgat ve Tibetha.

Location:              
Anantnag - Kashmir


Characters: 
(i)    Omkar Nath Kachroo from Rainawari - Srinagar. 
(ii)   Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beig (Emergency Head from National Conference.
(iii)  Pundit Rugh Nath Matoo, Dy. Commissioner, Anantnagh 1947 in the Government of the   then Mahraja Hari Singh Bahadur, Mahraja Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh ve Tibet ha.


(iv)  Soom Nath Koul, Office Superintendent to DC Anantnagh - Kashmir : he was from Srinagar and living in close neighbourhood of Prof. M N Tikoo.

(v)   SHO, Ram Chand Kishtwari, a good looking, tall, fair complexioned personality.
(vi)  Nand Lal Reshi who accompanied handcuffed Prof. M N Tikoo to give him moral support.

Prof. M N Tikoo: 
“I chanced to see Omkar Nath Kachroo from Rainawari, one of my classmates (DAV College, Srinagar) in one of the lanes near bus stand Anantnagh. We exchanged pleasantries and parted. I told my father that I met one of my friends and classmate at the bus stand. My father directed me to rush back and invite my friend on morning meal the next day. Next day, I went to some neighbour’s to call one of the family on the morning meal. To my surprise, in the neighbour’s yard, I was surrounded by a team of Policemen. Knowing that I am Manohar Nath Tikoo, they handcuffed me with a grass rope as the iron ones were out of stock. I could understand that I was being shadowed by CID people for the last 24 hours. They asked me if I knew Omkar Nath Kachroo and if he was at my place. I replied that he was my classmate and he was expected any time to have lunch at my place. My father and Nand Lal Reshi accompanied me for moral support. I was taken for interrogation to the hostel of Hanfia School. Many like me had to wait in the courtyard of the hostel for their call by the authorities upstairs. 


Late in the evening, darkness all around as those days Anantnagh had no electricity, someone called Manohar Nath is called to present himself before the authorities upstairs. I, handcuffed in a grass rope responded and went to the hall in dim light of some gas lamp. In the hall Mirza Afzal Beig was surrounded by DC Rugh Nath Matoo, his office Superintendent Soom Nath Koul, Advocate Damoodar Bhat, Manohar Nath Karihaloo(Koul), SHO Ram Ji Kishtwari. Beigh Sahib questioned my connections with Onkar nath Kachroo, who was alleged to be affiliated with RSS. I humbly said that my articles published in Hamdard and Navyug will speak for  my innocence and without any link with RSS. If Nehru and Ali Mohammad Jinah can share the same dining table what wrong have I done if I invited a friend of mine from the city for a meal as per the age-old tradition of villagers? Beigh Sahib said that I ought to have been a lawyer. I said: “Sir, if will let me go, I will go for LLb. 


Beigh Sahib turned to the SHO and asked him to go through my articles and proceed accordingly. For four days I had to go to the Police station to get myself marked….."


First appeared courtesy of B K Dass (Kashnet Yahoogroups)
- (Video talk of Professor Manohar Nath Tikoo is on his facebook page)

Grapevine

Paraphrasing Slavoj Zizek - 
"We need good old-fashioned Utilitarian egotism to combat greedy capitalism, not Christian morality."


Against


Blind pursuit of profit drives evolution.....

Civil Society Forum AJK: 'Signature Campaign' for attaining the role of DC ...

Civil Society Forum AJK: 'Signature Campaign' for attaining the role of DC ...: As legitimacy always resides in the people and given that since October 1947, our population has by and large adopted the 'blind follower' ...

Details of Non-locals residing, conducting business and acquiring land/property in Gilgit-Baltistan

It is considered that the 1927 State Subject Rule promulgated by the last Dogra Maharajah Hari Singh in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir has been violated, suspended or held in abeyance in Gilgit Baltistan, particularly since the Bhutto era in the early 1970's. The figures cited below have a margin of error not more than 10% of each figure quoted.

District wise data (%)

DISTRICT		CITY	BUSINESS		PROPERTIES
Gilgit
		Gilgit	60.00%		35.00%
		Jiglot	50.00%		20.00%

Ghizer		Gahkuch	70.00%		30.00%
		Gupis	60.00%		50.00%
		Yasin	20.00%		10.00%
		Chatorkhand	20.00%		15.00%

Diamer

Chilas

35.00%

40.00%

Baltistan

Skardu

20.00%

10.00%

Ghanche

Khapulo

15.00%

8.00%

Hunza-Nagar		Aliabad	15.00%		0.00%
		Sost	40.00%		5.00%

Astore

Eidgah

20.00%

15.00%

Major flour mills, petrol pumps, hotels and transport companies also belong to non-locals. While 80% of trade with China trade at Sost border (in Hunza-Nagar), 60% of timber business also belong to non-locals. Needless to add, the demography of Gilgit-Baltistan is at serious risk, if not already heavily undermined.