Daily Diary (DD) - Day 315 of 2023

2259hrs:

Travelling from south to north, even extreme north over the next few days.

Initially, to celebrate Diwali with our co-citizens across the LOC at Teetwaal (Chelhana) where we wish to exchange mithai (sweets) with them at the white line in the middle of the bridge above the Kishenganga, dividing our territory. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 266 of 2023

1847hrs:

Another big leap for humanity today!

I left home in Sehnsa at c. 0015hrs this morning and travelled through the night to try and get to Teetwaal at 1000hrs in the morning to witness Sharda Divas (Day) which fell on today's date this year.

My compatriots and I were delayed for over an hour at the gateway to Neelam Valley check post, which prevented us making direct contact with our fellow compatriots across the LOC. 

Hazards to peace can lurk anywhere.

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#Peacemaking in all directions from #Chelhana sur la #Kishenganga between #NeelamValley & #Kupwara facing each other across the #LOC on #23092023#ReligiousHarmony > #Peace #WhiteFlags > #KnowledgeBase #Sharda >
Top 20 Global #Economy pic.twitter.com/JU33yhqXAj

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) September 23, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 295 of 2019

0803hrs:

A beautiful morning on the banks of the Kishenganga in Muzaffarabad. A huge contrast to this day in 1947.

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While all hell broke loose in Muzaffarabad in the afternoon, a young Kashmiri Pandit woman was preparing her testimony of the internal J & K narrative for a congressional hearing in Washington, later today:



(Update: 03/11/19 at 0930hrs)

As the following tweet of the 24th of October is directly related to the video above, it is added here for meaningful context:

خدا کی کرنی دیکھیے، وہی پنڈت جن کو حزب المجاھدین قتل کرتی رہی،وہی پنڈت جن کے بارے میں لشکر اور حزب المجاھدین مساجد میں علان کرتے تھے

Look at God's work,The Same #KashmiriPandits whom Hizb-ul-Mujahideen use to Kill, the same pundits against whom Lashkar and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen+

— #SaveRiverSaveMuzaffarabad (@khawajaatteeq) October 24, 2019

 
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Meanwhile, what we didn't want to happen happened. Here is an activist taking cover in a graveyard while our police were commanded to disperse the PNA crowd with tear gas:

Muzafarabad(POK):Police shelling on #PNA peaceful marchers. You can kill us but national independence is our birth right#IndependentJK #ریاستی_دشتگردی_نامنظور#PNAmarchtowardsMuzaffarabad #quitJammuKashmirMovement ⁦@UN⁩ ⁦@UNHumanRights⁩ ⁦@AJEnglish⁩ pic.twitter.com/0tC2zwU9wG

— JKPNP (@JKPNP3) October 22, 2019

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The dispersed crowds made their way to other points in the city where they had an advantage over the police. In this following notable event at Chela - on the main road road between Muzaffarabad and Neelam - the public felt no option but to prevent an entourage of UNMOGIP vehicles returning from Neelam Valley, from proceeding back to their office, at least not before they promised to file a report of today's brutality:

Video 1 of 2:



In the heat of the moment, some members of the public passed on unconfirmed reports of further deaths of civilians. It should be clarified that only 1 casualty occurred as a direct result of police baton-charging and shelling ref. Qazi Aslam. However, many dozens were injured, some seriously.

Video 2 of 2:



There is some speculation that the Pakistani State wanted to avoid embarrassment in front of the UN and hence they took the measures they did to prevent PNA's rally from proceeding beyond Laal Chowk - through the city - to the Assembly Secretariat. In other words, they were fearful that the PR (Public Relations) effort they had put in to take UN officials to the Neelam Valley, in order for the latter to observe the damage inflicted by Indian firing/shelling in the preceding days, would be washed away when the very same UN officials would observe thousands of civilians in AJK marching and protesting against Pakistani occupation.    


It is assumed that they were anxious that the Pakistani mono-narrative imposed in AJK would be further exposed!

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AJK's diaspora - particularly in the UK - was very quick off its feet in not only condemning what was happening in Muzaffarabad but also in arranging a demonstration in the UK, to counter Pakistan's behaviour in AJK:

Please join hands with brave leadership of #PNA . We have organised a protest on 24 Oct in front of Pakisnti high commission London,UK. #NoIndia #NoPakistan #StopKillingUs #QuitJammuKashmirMovement #IndependentJK #PNA #StandWithPNA pic.twitter.com/0H2fQQNvtz

— JKPNP (@JKPNP3) October 22, 2019

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As if what the police had done in the afternoon was not enough, towards the evening they decided to storm the central press club while the PNA leadership were inside, in discussion with journalists:



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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 201 of 2019

0235hrs:

Hot on the heels is AJK civil society in the diaspora:

So, despite three separate protests followed by handing over a memorandum on each occasion to the Pakistani embassy in London - without any response whatsoever - the AJK diaspora has decided to write to their respective MPs in the UK as well as political representatives in other democratic countries, on the looming environmental disaster in AJK. This MP (in letter above) responded within 24 hours.

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Take this as a reminder for what's happening later today in my old university:

@RVankwani @SMQureshiPTI @sgqadir @PM_AJK @mohsin_shakil @sahaafi @MughalAmiruddin @TariqNaqash @ArifKhawaja_ @Ibne_Sena @MirRukiya @SabahKashmiri @ANI @AnitasharmaB Seminar on Sharda in London -please be a part of it and promote Cross LoC Heritage & Religious tourism, Jai Sharda pic.twitter.com/bxWkcyESiO

— Ravinder Pandita (@panditaAPMCC63) July 19, 2019

I hope to join you in some shape or form.....

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Squashing the distance between London and Sharda:



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At the event:



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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 193 of 2019

2348hrs:

Enroute.....stepping down the layers of mountains and valleys....from Kishenganga to Jhelum to the tip of Mangla....

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Find the brigade from the IOK and tell them, their beloved other occupier does not even allow to discuss them without permission #Kashmir#Kashmiri pic.twitter.com/HlS1VtKeSe

— #SaveRiverSaveMuzaffarabad (@khawajaatteeq) July 12, 2019

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@RVankwani @mohsin_shakil @MughalAmiruddin @neelakantha @sgqadir @PM_AJK @sahaafi @TariqNaqash @ANI The sangam of Kishenganga, Madhumati and downstream Saraswati rivers in Neelum Valley is not only magnificent but religiously important for offering Shradhas to ancestors (Pitras). pic.twitter.com/IJUx9bowUw

— Ravinder Pandita (@panditaAPMCC63) July 11, 2019

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Neelam or Kishenganga?

The binary system of one interest pitted against the other is played out between India and Pakistan on many fronts. Exchanging gunfire across the LOC is not quite passé yet but the war of attrition is now played out through a race to build hydro projects in the region. The net result in any event is huge human and ecological cost to Kashmir.

What started in Pakistani Administered Kashmir (PaK) as the 969 MW (Mega Watts) Neelam-Jhelum Hydro Project in January 2008 was 'countered' by the 330 MW Kishenganga Hydro Project in January 2009, a mere 70 kilometres upstream in Indian Administered Kashmir. The former with the assistance of American, Chinese and Norwegian firms whilst the latter is being built in conjunction with a British firm. Despite the Indus Basin Water Treaty of 1960 (without Kashmiri consultation - K.H. Khursheed was apparently sacked from the AJK presidency for his defiance) not permitting both projects to operate simultaneously, Kishenganga is set for completion in 2016 and Neelam-Jhelum in 2017.

Both projects were conceived more than twenty years ago (Neelam-Jhelum as early as 1982) and though ecological concerns are apparent with Kishenganga's proposed 103 metre reservoir submerging some parts of the Gurez Valley, the emphasis of this piece is to highlight some of the concerns of the AJK population and in particular the inhabitants of Muzaffarabad district. One would be eager to read something covering the same topic from the other side of the divide.

It should be made clear that Pakistan started this $2.16 Billion project without fulfilling basic environmental obligations required for such development projects. Neither did it consult the public of PaK or make any written agreement with the PaK Government. The project's Chief Executive is a retired General, Zubair, more attuned to firing bullets than presiding over a hydro-electric project. An environmental law enacted in 2000 has proved to be somewhat of a (belated) saviour for the people of PaK, as an NOC from AJK's EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is required by law before the commencement of any infrastructure project in this territory, except that three years of work have been carried out before a public hearing to assess people's reservations has been conducted. The public hearing which took place this past Monday was requested by the EPA upon public demand last year.

It should be no surprise that the venue was packed with members of the public and lasted for over six hours. Each and every participant expressed serious reservations about the project and the panel of four Pakistanis (the General, an environmental analyst and two members of WAPDA- Pakistan's federal electricity board) was utterly inadequate in their attempt to appease the public. Even the South African Consultant (representing the American firm MWH) who they brought along to presumably give a colour of authenticity was evidently bemused at what he witnessed. His assertion that Rs 25 billion would be pumped into the AJK economy as a result of the project did little to allay people's concerns. 

The history of Mangla and the unfulfilled promises made by Pakistan in the 1960's is still fresh in people's minds. They understand that Pakistan is seriously deficient in meeting it's energy demands and that this project would be directly connected with Rawat or Gakhar Grid station (in Pakistan) through a 500KV double circuit transmission line. Free or subsidised electricity and zero load-shedding promised in the wake of Mangla Hydro Project looks to be repeated, albeit with some variations.

Persistent requests by the Pakistani panel to "trust us" ringed hollow, sounded clichéd and were bereft of rationale. They were startled somewhat by the level of awareness espoused by the public of PaK and the Kala Bagh Dam fiasco was cited as an example of Pakistan shifting its burden to a disputed territory, where it knew it had a pliant power structure ready to oblige it at any cost. What they under-estimated was the assertiveness of the public.

Pakistan's impression that the working models of old would suffice in pushing through their objectives have been repeatedly dashed in this age of communication technology, not just by Monday's public hearing but even by the reservations held out by the EPA. For example, when WAPDA initially submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report in February 2009, it was found to be prepared in 1996. Its revised report presented in July 2010 still left much to be addressed in terms of combating environmental hazards of the project.

At the public hearing, some members of the public staged a walk-out in disgust at the panel's inability to answer their questions. The general employed both 'carrot and stick' in his attempt to calm the situation down. He employed sweet language by waxing lyrical about the number of years he had spent in PaK and privately warned a Project affectee to, "Remember who the Sardar is, never take a panga with the Sardar." The Sardar, of course, is referring to the Government of Pakistan.

It should be abundantly clear at this stage that Pakistan has embarked on this project using a procedure which is not only inherently flawed but back to front. For example, the sequence if one were to employ universal and civilised norms would have been to first consult the public, obtain their approval via debate in the AJK Assembly, fulfill all criteria related to protection of the environment (incidentally, our most prized asset in Kashmir), subsequently obtain an NOC from the EPA and finally address social, economic and political concerns by guaranteeing benefit to the local population in the shape of employment, skills and technology transfer.

In an effort to understand what drives such disasters, the war of attrition played out between India and Pakistan in Kashmir must be focused on and conscientious civil efforts must be devised by the public of Kashmir to immunise us from this conflict. Whether the Neelam-Jhelum Hydro Project will attain fruition is still far from certain.

Is it a matter of sacrificing our ecology and natural habitats for Pakistan's energy needs? or is it a matter of 'national interest' (viz. Pakistan's) where the Neelam-Jhelum project will give Pakistan some leverage in the Indus Basin arbitration process and forestall India's alleged attempts to divert the upstream river flow for it's own needs?

During the forum, this writer made it clear that the panel had provided an inadequate response to people's questions. The question of legality of Pakistan's activity was also raised. Where members of the public couched their criticism of the project by a feigned allegiance to Pakistan, one has always had the privilege of saying what he feels, unconstrained by any associated interest. In an attempt to define 'national interest', which was the underlying current of the Pakistani panel's response, nothing was forthcoming.

In response, yours truly requested the panel to ask major stakeholders in the Pakistani power structure (be they the military, bureaucracy, politicians or anyone else who stood responsible for Pakistan's decisions) to come to Muzaffarabad imminently and face questions from the AJK public in a similar hearing. Our region needs to move forward with a clear definition of our national interest and the direction that we need to take.

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The writer is a writer, broadcaster and activist working for civil society development in Pakistani-administered Kashmir and can be mailed at sahaafi@gmail.com

This article was first published in Rising Kashmir (a Srinagar-based English daily) on the 22nd of December 2010

This article was re-titled as "Power Politics" on December the 23rd 2010 by Vijay Sazawal, a Kashmiri Pandit living in the USA and running a website named Kashmirforum.org

He also commented that:
"Tanveer says in the battle for hydro-electric power, Pakistan has ignored environmental impacts"

The article can be read at the following link:

This article was also referenced in:

 'The Indus Equation' by Strategic Foresight Group - Mumbai in 2011