A Journey from Subject to Citizen: Daily Diary (DD)

Friday, 2 March 2018

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 61 of 2018

2336hrs: (of Day 60)

I missed the midnight deadline by seconds, literally. Day 60's blog had to be amended to Day 61.

Yesterday, on day 2 of Mahmood Ahmed Musafir's Camel and Donkey's March from Bhimber to Muzaffarabad, he was halted at about 1600hrs (4pm), ostensibly by the district administration of AJK. Senior Minister in the AJK Government and local MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Tariq Farooq expressed an intention to discuss the 32 public issues at hand. Mahmood was escorted to Mr Farooq's residence in Bhimber city, while members of the public tended to his animals at Jabbi where he had been stopped.

Meanwhile, I had initially intended to spend just the opening day on February the 27th with Mahmood Sahab. We camped at Chappran, about 15 kilometres north of Bhimber. On the morning of day 2, I bid farewell with an intention to join him once again for a day, when he would arrive at Chakswari.

Recently, I've been trying to focus on completing the 2nd version of Citizen Public Opinion Survey - AJK which would extend version 1 from 20 pages to 250. Thereupon, I would be keen to get this extended version published in an academic journal somewhere in the 'developed' world.

That is not possible at the moment as Mr. Musafir suggested that I return and engage in the aforementioned discussion with Senior Minister Tariq Farooq. At the end of an intense but incomplete debate, the minister suggested that we adjourn until the following day. We returned to Jabbi - located at the district border between Bhimber and Mirpur despite the AJK administration suggesting that they accomodate us in the State Resthouse.

Mahmood Ahmed Musafir spent Day 3 stationed at Jabbi while waiting for the Minister's call. It didn't happen.

I have suggested to Mahmood Sahab that we should proceed with the 'Camel and Donkey March' tomorrow morning and head towards Chechian. What is in the minds of the AJK Government and/or the shadows that monitor them is anybody's guess. Alibeg Police Station has had its staff stationed and camped alongside Mahmood and his animals since the initial encounter on Day 2. Today will be Day 4 of Mahmood Ahmed Musafir's journey from Bhimber to Muzaffarabad.

Here are a series of photos as the evening progressed at Jabbi on Day 3 of Mahmood Sahab's march (which correspond to Day 60 of this year)

The following are photos of Day 4 of Mahmood Sahab's March (Day 61 of this year) as it progressed through the day, until its fabulous climax when Mahmood, his animals and dozens of citizens negotiated him beyond District Bhimber into District Mirpur in the evening.