Daily Diary (DD) - Day 364 of 2021

0858hrs:

The time has arrived for us to begin comparing our governance model with the one prevailing in AJK.

Watch this space.....

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The following is a disturbing account of how information, knowledge, creative learning and wisdom is stifled in AJK. This is particularly disturbing considering it is female students on this ocassion that have been targeted. I produce the report almost ad verbatim as it was sent to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP):

Dear HR Team

Female students at Women University Bagh were having a study circle on Kashmir History. As most of the books on Kashmir history are banned by Pakistan in Kashmir (AJK+GB), this study circle triggered the agencies and they forced the university to ban these students and the study circle on the ancient history of Kashmir. The leaked internal documents attached to this letter can show you that the university also initiated disciplinary action against the girls.

The women in Kashmir already have strict rules and regulations to follow from parents to society. As these young women try to break some chains the authorities are again trying to put them in line - in accordance with colonial rule - and for trying to learn their own ancient history.

The names of the students against whom the university have initiated disciplinary action for trying to conduct a study circle are:

 

1) Anisa Imtiaz 

2) Bakhtawar

3) Zainab Imtiaz

4) Ayesha Jabbar

5) Minahil

6) Ambreen Yaseen

7) Ayesha Ajaz

8) Laiba Basharat

9) Laraib Shafiq

10) Maryum Bibi

11) Mehvish Saleem

12) Uzma Yousaf

13) Shamah Manzoor

14) Samman Qaidat

15) Aneesa Akram

16) Ayesha Saddique

17) Samman Qayum

18) Aqsa Rasheed

19) Kinza Nadeem

20) Malaika

21) Tuba Altaf

22) Javeria Khan

23) Irum Saleem

The books in question are:   

1) 'Rajatarangini' by Pandit Kalhana - written in 1148 CE

2) 'History of Kashmir' by Muhammad Din Fauq - written in 1910 CE

3) 'Kishwar e Kashmir' by G.M Mir - written in 2004

4) 'Jammu Kashmir Book of Knowledge' by Muhammad Saeed Asad - written in 2015    

This was the invite:

Letter from Head of Department (HOD) and Women Student List:

 

Progressive Students’ Collective strongly condemn this notice against the women who were holding the study circle in Women University Bagh Pakistan Administrated Kashmir. How pathetic it is that the university administration doesn’t allow students to sit together and study. pic.twitter.com/cRxyijHPfS

— Progressive Students’ Collective (@PSCollective_) December 30, 2021

HR Team 

The people of Kashmir already lack basic human rights; from freedom to take part in elections, freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of assembly and freedom to learn their own history. The people in Pakistani Controlled Kashmir’s two administrative regions: Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) do not have any freedom of expression under the pretext of national security. The appeasement of Islamabad by the Pakistani-imposed administrations of AJK and GB has led to a climate of fear for activists in the region and now this fear is being spread to students.  

End of report (copied almost ad verbatim) from an activist affiliated to HRCP, who describes themselves as 'Kashur Sheen'.

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On this day, female activists of the area led by Nusrat Qureshi also conducted a press conference on this issue, threatening to conduct a sit-in protest outside the university if it did not reverse its decision and allow the female students to pursue their extra-curricular enquiry of Jammu Kashmir's territory and history: 

When the citizens of AJK, in particular student groups from throughout the territory and in its diaspora began agitating on this issue the University authorities issued the following - somewhat appeasing - press release:

I'll translate it here:

Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir - Bagh

Public Relations Office

Press Release: 30/12/21

Along with curricular activities the Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir also encourages positive extra curricular activities. Indeed, such activities are also organised within the institution. In particular, on the 'Kashmir Issue' and 'Kashmir History' 4 seminars have been conducted this year. 

Yesterday, some female students had held a study circle on their own accord, without seeking permission from the administration of the women's university. Note that it is compulsory to seek formal permission from the university administration before organising any (such) programme, which wasn't sought. 

The university administration in this respect merely demanded a report and did not enact any form of disciplinary action against the female students, neither do they intend to do so. The purpose is simply to maintain discipline as without discipline institutions cannot function (as an educational entity). 

The women's university encourages such programmes and 'Kashmir studies' is formally taught as a subject at this institution in Bagh. If anybody wishes to organise a seminar on 'Kashmir History' or 'Kashmir Issue' this institution would welcome such an initiative. 

We hold as dear the future of the female students in our institution and are as concerned about it as are the parents (of these students). 

End of translation......

Notes on above episode from the ground:

The university authorities have tried to present this episode as a 'permission' issue but this is not the case...study circles have been conducted before and this is just a face saving ploy. The university administration is still not giving permission to conduct the above referenced study circle. The latter are nevertheless keen to conduct a study circle that would be in line with the 'Sarkari' narrative (The State narrative which means the Pakistani narrative) and thus 'controlled'. 

However, with the issuance of this press release the university has announced that it hasn't and will not take any disciplinary action, subsequent to the agitation that occurred throughout AJK. That is the sum purpose/effect of the press release. They are still not willing to provide permission to the female students to conduct their extra curricular activity in an open learning environment. 

Meanwhile, the students continue to give multiple formal applications to the university administration but in response the latter is insisting that whatever the students want to conduct must be done in the supervision of the authorities viz. in a controlled manner.

In summary, such extra curricular activities have been conducted before but on this occasion - as the subject was the ancient history of Kashmir - the roving clandestine agencies (whose main function is to protect the Pakistani narrative in AJK, despite its fallacious intent and in contradiction to their public stance about supporting the people of JKA's right to self determination) swooped into action and ordered the vice chancellor of the university to prevent such 'open-minded' activity. Hence, the originally intended disciplinary action against 23 female students of the university.

End...

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