A Journey in Jammu Kashmir & Allied areas (JKA)............................
from Subject to Citizen
.........autocracy to democracy
.........Dogra Raaj to Awaami Raaj
.........1947 CE to...........................
#WhiteFlags
#Neutrality
#WaterManagement #MirpurtoLondonviaCentralAsia
We are making further changes in our daily routine. A morning walk at 0400hrs has been initiated today. This picture was taken whilst returning home.
0757hrs
Attendance = 100%
Punctuality = 64%
114 days on time or early of 178
Punctuality surplus = 27 minutes
Punctuality Consistency Status = 10 days
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We will continue featuring content from the ongoing spectacle in Qatar:
I left the following comment there:
I would opine that this a refreshing angle on the most topical issue in the world, at the moment.
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I had been invited to a get together of 'nationalists' in Kotli today, with a view to exploring possibilities of unity amongst their ranks. It was instigated by Zahoor Kashmiri of Goi in Kotli and included various members of JKLF (mainly from the Dar faction or more commonly referred to as the Pindi faction) but had others too in attendance. I of course attended as a neutral with a view to explore options of how the whole State of JKA can reunite, whereby unity amongst various factions of the JKLF can be considered as a layer within that greater objective.
It was a closed door meeting and thus I couldn't take any photos or videos of the event. It was scheduled from 1600hrs (4pm) to 1800hrs (6pm). I arrived with my assistant at 1633hrs. 33 minutes late.
Some concerns raised by participants at the meeting:
1) Shops/long-term.....short-term (what & how)
- Explanation: It was agreed that some factions or rather - some individuals within factions - were running 'shops' which prevented them from participating or contributing to the greater good.
- That people think in the short term and don't consider the long term implications of their actions.
2) Organisational structure
That all parties and factions did not have a working or functional organisational structure.
3) Coaching (moral/political training)
That all parties and factions do not coach their cadre but rather concentrate on arranging public events from time to time - usually in reaction to something done by India and/or Pakistan - and give speeches of condemnation.
4) Finance
That all parties and factions do not take into account the need for finance or how it can be raised to perform important political functions.
5) Infighting/leg pulling
That there is too much infighting (personality clashes) and leg pulling to prevent any particular individual or party from progressing.
..
- I did respond to all points raised and attempted to provide alternatives, including discussing the Citizen's Charter JKA, in particular its snapshot version.
- I also took the opportunity to review my 50 day workshop at Shaheed Chowk (Martyr's Square) at the beginning of this year.
We're into our 3rd week of a weekly live transmission on JKTV, providing an update of the status of public affairs in our territory:
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Today we're witnessing local (municipal) elections in AJK for the first time in 31 years. Polling is being conducted in a phased manner - division by division - beginning with Muzaffarabad division today.
Khurshid Uz Zaman Abbasi Sb has been kind enough to invite me to this marathon transmission today, broadcasting live from Washington USA:
I spoke in 2 batches before my connectivity totally gave way at around 3:27:00
From 3:01:40 to 3:08:30 and 3:11:29 to 3:19:25
Many thanks to former chief justice of the AJK supreme court Syed Manzoor Gillani and senior journalists Syed Tassaduq Hussain (living in Calgary, Canada and candidate for local elections there) & Ibrahim Gul (former PTV director for AJK and now living in South Korea) for their kind words too.
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My take on concerns about human rights in Qatar, given the attention received in the wake of the World Cup being hosted there:
Most global human rights groups are of the view that the World Cup being held in Qatar is a means to open engagement on all those issues that are regional in some respects and global in others. Qatar has a global media channel and wants to excel in hosting discussion on some of the most uncomfortable problems of the world. It has brought something into existence that didn't exist before. Global spotlight.
In our #PublicPolicyAJK approach to conflict resolution in the region we have understood that the public of JKA - without exception - have been denied their right to exercise freedom of assembly, association, expression, movement and recourse to law including international law.
We include all our politicians and all claimants to nobility in this territory, as victims of this very well structured militarised governance module.
We apparently had no democratic, ethical, legal or peaceful outlet/forum to address our concerns.
But we do.
What do our own legal experts say?
What would be the legal perspective of our 4 neighbours:
Earlier this morning, or rather just beyond midnight:
Almost at the stroke of midnight tonight I typed the following question into Chacha #Google : How to bid to host the next possible FIFA World Cup in Jammu Kashmir & Allied areas (JKA)? I got 8 results but I need to dig deeper to execute #JKASoftPower#AJK#FIFA#Qatar#300bnpic.twitter.com/U9txfTW8Z4
Thankfully, our punctuality deficit has reverted back to a surplus. Let's hope it stays that way until the end of this 365 day outing at the Square.
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I felt prompted to watch the following video, given that it is that time every 4 years where a considerable amount of the world's population turns their attention to a sporting competition:
I was then tempted to write the following notes, a part of which I entered as a comment to the video above, indicated in brackets below:
FIFA World Cup
Qatar
Globalisation
(Arabs deserve a respectable place in the world. They have a history and have contributed to global civilisation. They are not all terrorists or spoilt brats with nothing to contribute to the world.
Qatar has proactively used this and various other initiatives to show that they can be as much a part of the solution to humanity's problems as any other nation or people.
Al Jazeera and other institutions have been developed to build this 'soft power'.
Obtaining the opportunity to host the most watched global event in the world at 300 billion US dollars is a very prudent investment.
In the backdrop of the most lucrative and popular sport in the world, we can bring some sport and support similar fair play in geopolitics.)
We began trying to obtain membership of FIFA since the day of the World Cup final in Russia 4 years ago. We were ignored by everybody without exception, despite even asking one of our co-citizens based in Zurich - global headquarters of FIFA - but unfortunately it seems that he ignored us too, although it is possible that he may have a valid reason.
Incidentally, we understand that the whole World Cup event has been organised by a Swiss company. This is human capital export of the highest order. We, in Jammu Kashmir & Allied (areas) - JKA - have that capability too but we deny each other, sometimes even before the world denies us.
We - the people of JKA - are losing out because we are unable to organise ourselves as a people representing a country - in the manner that citizens of more than 200 countries are able to do - albeit the global geopolitical chessboard may have been a bit kinder to most of them. For example, citizens of India and Pakistan or even those of Nepal or Bhutan - presuming that most of them are proud of their national identity - have a head start ahead of us. Although for obvious reasons India and Pakistan have an unfair advantage over us.
Google, Facebook and Twitter are earning billions globally including from us in #AJK and throughout #JKA . Yet, they are paying 0 to our territory because we do not have an 'organisational framework' in the shape of a de facto country, to take advantage of opportunities the world is offering us.
Our concept of neutrality in foreign relations can be described as giving each country equal opportunity to engage/trade with us.
Our mutual economic relationships with other countries should be aimed as being 50:50 in terms of mutual benefit. We do understand that this may be difficult to achieve, given that global capital flocks to where there is greater opportunity. However, our neutral status and distinct geography can be an enticement in itself, that may confound traditional economic thinking.
There are countries that are already engaged with our territory and there should be some others that we proactively engage with - as many as have already engaged with us - in order to then create a level playing field for the rest of the world to engage with us.
We want to see #AJK or #JKA host the FIFA World Cup at some point in the next couple of decades, to enhance our 'soft power' credentials, if not anything else.
My punctuality deficit has decreased to 8 minutes.
Punctuality percentage: 94 days on time or early of 157 = 60% punctual.
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As we rapidly approach the most unique of football world cups ever in its history, we can rue our absence there and also try to enjoy the spectacle that it always presents:
I felt it appropriate to submit a comment too:
I think this has been a well presented programme. All the flaws were zeroed in and the viewer is better able to understand the achievement of Qatar to bring the most global of events in human history to its shores.
We (civil society & public agency) in AJK (the 'free' part of Jammu & Kashmir) were not in a position to think 12 years ahead in 2010. Some of us who could have linked up the dots between Switzerland (Home of FIFA) and Qatar, were only beginning to work on obtaining FIFA membership for AJK & Gilgit Baltistan, during the final of the 2018 World Cup. Croatia also inspired us further by doing so well as a small country.
Alas, 4 years was not enough preparation to get AJK to take part in a global spectacle of unparalleled exposure. We are yet to receive a response from FIFA in Zurich.
The thought of 'soft power' did go through my mind while watching the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, from AJK. I was happy for Qatar to have achieved this milestone. Hosting global conflict resolution puzzles and facilitating a global media channel are also examples of successful accumulation of 'soft power'.
We in AJK and the rest of JKA will keenly follow Qatar's achievements into the future.
End of Youtube comment....
(Update: 1621hrs 11/11/2022)
As is almost customary, the thought police of India and/or Pakistan will always try and address any mention of any part of Jammu Kashmir & Allied (areas) on any global forum. They will try and correct any information or analysis according to their own country's narrative. Such an example happened here too:
Someone describing themselves as 'Eternal Gamer' intervened yesterday (10/11/2022) as follows:
"As a part of Pakistan of course."
My response (MR henceforth):
@Eternal Gamer
No, it is precisely these types of assumptions and assertions that have destroyed Pakistan. These are matters best left to the inhabitants of JKA, without external interference.
(He promptly responded (as if duty bound):
@Tanveer Ahmed
first of all, you mentioned Gilgit Baltistan. The people of Gilgit Baltistan have always wanted to remain separate from Kashmir and the overwhelming majority supports integration with Pakistan.
Second, if you really are Kashmiri, then you are disrespecting your ancestors and the people of Kashmir who fought and were ready to give their lives to make Kashmir part of Pakistan.
You're definitely better off than the Kashmiris on the other side of the border.
MR (I responded today):
@Eternal Gamer
I didn't think this would be the appropriate forum to discuss such matters but since you've raised them I'll just make a couple of brief points in the hope that you will agree to disagree, rather than continuing to pursue or clarify your 'ownership' credentials at the cost of the people of this territory, who have an inherent right to represent themselves, rather than a neighbour forcibly trying to represent their views to the world.
You make assertions about Gilgit Baltistan while denying them basic fundamental rights for 75 years - which no-one stopped you from giving them. You restrict their freedom of expression, movement, assembly, association and deny them recourse to law and then make fantastic statements about them wanting to remain separate from Kashmir and that an overwhelming majority supports integration with Pakistan, without as much as a rudimentary public opinion survey to back up that assertion. It's a bit like Pharoah claiming that the children of Israel want to fully integrate with Egypt while denying them all avenues to express themselves or seek redressal for crimes committed against them.
The point about disrespecting ancestors also sounds ridiculous for a number of reasons. Anybody who fights for their rights and sacrifices their life does not do so with the intention of surrendering those rights to someone else. You maybe confusing blind faith with their co-religionists thinking that they would be helpful neighbours into a ridiculous suggestion that they sacrificed their lives for Pakistan. Most of the people who have died or been killed since 1947 is either because they found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time through no fault of their own (religious minorities forced to migrate or be killed to validate the British created 2 nation theory), people who reside on the LOC being killed by Indian and Pakistani bullets, people in the Valley of Kashmir being killed for either being lured by Indian or Pakistani money and arms particularly in the late 1980's/1990's. The list is endless.
Finally, we may be better off than people on the other side of the border but Pakistan cannot take credit for that. Quite the contrary. Indian and Pakistani money and arms were used on the other side while no such intrigue took place on that scale on this side. An Indian wrong does not necessarily make a Pakistani right. The Pakistanis have foolishly tried to live off the misery of others thinking that it creates a groundswell of opinion in its own favour. Most of the world can see through you. Pakistan has closed our gateway to the world while it extracts resources mercilessly from our territory, forcing our people to migrate to all parts of the world for their livelihood. The conditions here are better because of our diaspora - whose foreign remittances enable Pakistan to continue surviving despite it being an economic debacle - and the Pakistanis know full well that if they try and repress our people like the Indians do, then it won't be long before they are kicked out of here. Pakistan does not have the diplomatic or economic clout of India to ride such tribulations.
As mentioned at the outset, I do not wish to continue using this platform to discuss matters that have nothing to do with it. You have made your points and I have made mine. Try and find me on an alternative platform if you're keen to continue the discussion. Try and represent yourself rather than others. Every human being is capable of representing themselves. Try to understand that.
