Daily Diary (DD) - Day 276 of 2018

2320hrs:



I will write some notes in relation to the above video and also provide an audio explanation of what I have written..

Meanwhile, today was significant in other respects too:

The citizens of AJK have increasingly voiced their concerns about the region's education curriculum not reflecting the local environment, its geography or its history. One citizen in particular - Quayyum Raja - has been struggling for years for such a curriculum where the history of Jammu & Kashmir be taught as a compulsory subject to its children.

His struggle - assisted by the citizens of this territory - made a leap today:

Quayyum Raja

                 

 AJK HIGH COURT CHIEF ALLOWS JK NASAAB PETITION

        On 3^rd of October 2018, the Honourable Chief Justice of Azad Jammu Kashmir, Mr. Aftab Tabbassam Alvi, has allowed a writ petition filed by one Abdul Quayyum Raja demanding the history of Jammu Kashmir to be included in the National Curriculum as a compulsory subject. Mr. Raja argued that:

1.       

The Government of Azad Jammu Kashmir Textbook Board was established in 2014 as a result of a public campaign  led by petitioner Abdul Quayyum Raja, whose first demand was the textbook board and the second was the inclusion of the history of Jammu Kashmir. (The petitioner served 22 years of his life in British jails as a political prisoner campaigning for the reunification of Jammu Kashmir). The petitioner met with the first chair person of the Azad Jammu Kashmir Textbook Board and asked why the history of JK had not been included. The chair person promised to comply with the request, but five years on, nothing has happened. Instead, the fabricated history and controversial ideas are being inserted in and imported texts that only confuse the children of the state of Azad Jammu Kashmir. That after 70 years of the creation of present state of Azad Jammu Kashmir, we are still relying upon the Punjab Text Book Board, which is unable to fulfill the requirement of the Kashmir Studies. The bewildered Kashmiri children ask a burning question as to why they have to learn about the other nations but not about their own nation.

2.        The petitioner met with the Education Minister and Nasaab Office on 14^th of November 2017 and pointed out with certain text books on which the label of Azad Kashmir Textbook Board was being used, but the texts include nothing about Jammu Kashmir history, geography and culture. This is certainly not a negligence, but cheating. The petitioner therefore handed in a written request to stop cheating and include the history of Jammu Kashmir into National Curriculum. A letter with the same request had been submitted to the President of AJK, Prime Minister and Secretary Education by the petitioner, but no response was received from any of the parties (copy attached).

3.           Muhammad Azeem Dutt Advocate on behalf of petitioner, sent a legal notice to the Chief Secretary, President, Prime Minister, Education Minister, Secretary Schools and the Chairman Nasaab Azad Jammu Kashmir. The acknowledgement of the said was received, but three months on, no response or a promise to respond has been given by any party (copy of acknowledge is enclosed herewith).

As a result, the petitioner filed a petition in the High Court, which was approved by the Chief Justice who orderd the Government to appear before the court on the 23rd of October. The petitioner and his counsel Malik Asghir Sethi appreciated this decision by the Chief Justice.