Daily Diary (DD) - Day 304 of 2023

1739hrs:

Trying to recover from influenza by having a normal routine today as opposed to reclining in bed like yesterday. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 303 of 2023

1806hrs:

A flu usually accompanies the weather change twice a year. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 302 of 2023

2001hrs:

Watching England's cricket team in decline almost as much as I witnessed their ascendency to become world champions in 2019. In sickness as in health as some may say: 

Monitoring this match with great interest, as much for my 2 #AJK co-citizens playing for #England as much as colonial legacy.
Hope #MoinAli features in batting scorecard like #AdilRashid in bowling.
Live#India vs England, 29th Match
ICC Cricket World Cup https://t.co/pX2dOsnMMX

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) October 29, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 301 of 2023

1906hrs:

Moving forward despite and in spite of everything. Genetics do play a part and they can be as much a strength as a weakness. Although the latter can be culturally suffocating.

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#MirpurtoLondonviaCentralAsia has been this blog's tag line since at least 2021 (I will have to check) while the need for a land route created in JKA between Asia & Europe has featured in our public policy architecture since 2005. 

The following video has some good insights and well done to Caspian Report for the research. Our planned route is south of this 'middle corridor':

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 300 of 2023

1813hrs:

Another day. Another set of targets. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 299 of 2023

0002hrs:

I missed out on logging an entry for Day 298 of 2023 by a couple of minutes. Absent-mindedness us to blame once again! Though one always remembers at various points in the day but delaying always invites danger.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 297 of 2023

1412hrs:

Another social task to attend to: 

The wedding of dear Toseef Jarral of Kot Jamel, Rajouri and JKLF.

From Sehnsa to Qila Badhaar.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 296 of 2023

1833hrs:

Change always begins at home with oneself:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 295 of 2023

1418hrs:

This day in 1947 was probably the darkest day in the history of this territory. I am featuring a Facebook post today from a Kashmiri Pandit - living in exile in Chennai (formerly Madras) in India - who has his own inimitable style of communication:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 294 of 2023

2332hrs:

Travelling does consume time but it is unavoidable in our territory, as much for social reasons as political and administrative.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 293 of 2023

2053hrs:

Travelling to Jammu today - not in actuality but in a virtual sense - as we are wont to do every Friday evening.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 292 of 2023

2128hrs:

Aah! The Valley of Kashmir!

Loneliness 

Says Shah Faesal - Indian bureaucrat originating from that most picturesque of valleys in the world.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 291 of 2023

1249hrs:

A bright sunny day and plenty to look forward to. Isn't that what life is all about?

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 290 of 2023

2323hrs:

It has rained quite heavily for 2 days in a row now. This has changed our climate from summer to winter in a flash it seems. 

Despite these challenges for people's manoeuvrability and the associated burden on our weak infrastructure, our students from throughout AJK came out in strong numbers to support #RightsMovementAJK , into its sixth month of daily protest for basic needs which the government is unable to deliver.

  

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 289 of 2023

2253hrs:

Leaping ahead at times....

#WATCH | J&K | For the first time after independence, Navratri puja was held at the historic Sharda Temple in Teetwal, Kupawara district of Kashmir on 15th October. pic.twitter.com/ka5Ik1FW8o

— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2023

In the wake of the above development a live programme was hosted by News 18 later in the evening:

JKLH Prime Time https://t.co/kibpxN7RMJ via @FacebookWatch
An upbeat discussion on #Sharda giving clues to the contours of a solution:
1) Religious Harmony >
2) Secure peace >
3) Re-centralisation of knowledge >
4) Top 20 world economy#People2PeopleContact

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) October 16, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 288 of 2023

1547hrs:

Still struggling to emerge from a few days of rest. An Achilles heel at times.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 287 of 2023

2232hrs:

The individual productivity of citizens when looked at collectively as a nation directly impacts their bargaining position in global geo-politics.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 286 of 2023

2137hrs:

A deliberate lull before the next storm in public activism.

A slight delay in the inevitable that we have been aspiring for, for decades.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 285 of 2023

1621hrs:

Everything requires a lot of attention. One must be skilled enough to give as much attention as possible to everything where their decisions impact the lives of others.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 284 of 2023

2125hrs:

Returning to an 18 hour day, even after a few days break isn't at all easy. 

It must happen though as there is nothing worth losing and everything to gain.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 283 of 2023

2146hrs:

The women of AJK showed their hand today in pushing forward the #RightsMovementAJK by coming out in very large numbers in all the major urban centres of the territory.

The 10th of October 2023 is another milestone.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 282 of 2023

1834hrs:

We experience many hours of electricity load-shedding in Sehnsa throughout the day every day, in a sub-division (tehsil) that hosts the hydro-power project of Holaar, which produces 720 MW of power for Pakistan. 

Such are the beastly relations between AJK and Pakistan.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 281 of 2023

2201hrs:

Grappling with very below par internet connectivity, despite living on the only main road leading out of the most populated district in AJK.

This is just one of many unnecessary tragedies plaguing the territory.

It is ironic that an earthquake on this day 18 years ago ushered in some form of connectivity with the outside world which was hitherto blocked by the Pakistani State. Yet, it still isn't adequate.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 280 of 2023

2052hrs:

Back home....in Sehnsa....dangerous but very powerful place. It has the capability to make big decisions.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 279 of 2023

1038hrs:

Another fresh morning in district Haveli. We have reached the bar room of the local lawyer's association to present our case:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 278 of 2023

0900hrs:

Waking up to a very fresh and very green Palangi in Mumtazabad, the 'janam bhoomi' (Fatherland) of Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore, who served as prime minister of AJK between 1990 and 1991.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 277 of 2023

1239hrs:

From Bagh to Haveli, our final district yet to be engaged in #AJKReferendum2023

Going from strength to strength....

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 276 of 2023

1155hrs:

We have just reached Bagh city where we understand the sit-in protest of the nationwide Awaami Action Committee has been uprooted. Not for log though, as public sentiment is very high!

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 275 of 2023

1254hrs:

We fly (rather drive) even higher than the heights of Chikaar towards Sudhan Gali, as we sweep the remaining districts and tehsils (subdivisions) of AJK in reference to #AJKReferendum2023

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The following circular was released by the AJK government yesterday seeking assistance from Pakistan to quell the State wide protests in the territory. It is an extremely dangerous portent:

 

The Pakistani State & its lapdogs have most certainly gone mad! Bringing Pakistani police forces N2 #AJK 2 quell a well coordinated peaceful public wide uprising 4 basic rights here will create unnecessary murder & mayhem like #Bangladesh1971 #Pakistan should simply retreat asap https://t.co/08aa4xPwo3

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) October 2, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 274 of 2023

1804hrs:

Continuing to reach out to all corners of Hattian Bala (now re-christened as Jhelum Valley). We have completed our administrative formalities in the tehsils (subdivisions) of Leepa and Hattian. Chikaar remains and this is where we have reached.

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