Daily Diary (DD) - Day 36 of 2024

0851hrs:

Have returned to almost where I left off a day before yesterday. Although I slept at c. 0200hrs I did get up at 0800hrs this morning. The length of sleep is at the optimum level but the timing is still 2 hours out of sync.

Today is an important day in the journey towards reclaiming ownership of AJK by its people. 

....

The 5th of February will never again be used as a date to re-affirm colonisation of Jammu Kashmir & Allied areas in the name of false solidarity:

....

After another solid public turnout a local youngster was keen to interview me in reference to the transfer of water and soil from Sharda that ended up in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh India:

....

Today was also an opportune time to try and make contact with the Indian Government on the matter of our missing juveniles who mistakenly crossed the LOC at some point in the last couple of years. We are focussing on one case in particular:

The email is copied below (exactly as sent, followed by the letter as a pdf attachment)

Request for repatriation of juvenile Abdus Samad who inadvertently crossed the LOC at Tithrinote/Chakkan Da Bagh (Poonch) on 25/11/2021

Tanveer Ahmed <sahaafi@gmail.com>

Attachments

5 Feb 2024, 09:50

to: cons.islamabad@mea.gov.in

Dear Sir/Madam

Please find a pdf file attached to this email. I will also embed the letter here for convenience:

Subject of letter: Request for repatriation of juvenile Abdus Samad who inadvertently crossed the LOC at Tithrinote/Chakkan Da Bagh (Poonch) on 25/11/2021

Addressed to: The Indian Government (dated 05/02/2024) via

1)    Indian High Commission in Islamabad - Pakistan

2)    Zahid Ahmed Ghorsi – Advocate High Court Jammu J & K

Dear Sir/Madam

JKA PUBLIC AGENCY acting on the request Muhammad Aslam Khan (maternal grandfather & guardian of juvenile Abdus Samad) would earnestly like to bring to your attention the prolonged detention of Abdus Samad son of Muhammad Banaras Khan (date of birth: 22/03/2007) at an ‘Observation Centre’ or ‘Juvenile Home’ in Ranbir Singh Pura in Jammu district of Jammu & Kashmir, despite an order for his release by the Juvenile Justice Board in Poonch district on 25 August 2022 reference: https://www.thequint.com/news/india/pakistani-minor-boy-asmad-ali-kin-react-release-order-by-juvenile-board-held-for-crossing-line-of-control

Abdus Samad (also referred to as Asmad Ali in the press) has already been through a very turbulent childhood wherein he lost his parents at a very young age and has been brought up by his maternal grandmother, whose own health has deteriorated to a critical level because of her grandson’s prolonged absence.

The family have also engaged Advocate Zahid Ahmed Ghorsi of Jammu to obtain his release through due legal process and would be happy to arrange any relevant legal fees through your High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan.

We recognise that this is quite an unconventional way of resolving a matter that perhaps could have been resolved in a more simplified manner much closer to the time of it occurring. Over 2 years have now elapsed and we wish for a conclusion in the form of repatriation, ideally with Abdus Samad being handed over to his family at the crossing point in Tithrinote/Chakkan Da Bagh (operational between 2006 & 2018), where his grandparent’s home is barely metres away from.

We would request that you guide us as to how this matter can be amicably resolved to the satisfaction of all parties concerned and what relevant assurances would be needed in this regard.

We thank you for your time and hope this proves to be a worthy mechanism for conflict resolution.

Regards

Tanveer Ahmed – Founder JKA PUBLIC AGENCY

Contact: 0092 343 0860380

Email: sahaafi@gmail.com

JKA PUBLIC AGENCY Note: #E090005022024

..end of letter 

Tanveer Ahmed

Attachment:

 

Update:

On the 13th of February the email was also forwarded to: 

Indian High Commission - Islamabad Pakistan:

info2.islamabad@mea.gov.in

Ministry of External Affairs (Government of India) Central Registry, South Block

aord@mea.gov.in

Dr. S. Jaishankar (External Affairs Minister)

eam@mea.gov.in

Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (Minister of State for External Affairs)

mos.rrs@mea.gov.in

Rupjyoti Brahma Karjee

Private Secretary to Minister of State for External Affairs Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh

dsmos.rrs@mea.gov.in

Shri V. Muraleedharan (Minister of State for External Affairs)

mosvmo@mea.gov.in

Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi (Minister of State for External Affairs)

mos.ml@mea.gov.in

After numerous attempts to reach the Indian High Commission by phone (including the various switchboard numbers and an emergency WhatsApp number) failed:

Follow-up phone calls made to:

Indian High Commission - Islamabad Pakistan

00 92 (0) 51 283 3283

00 92 (0) 51 283 3251

00 92 (0) 51 283 3252

00 92 (0) 51 283 3253

00 92 (0) 300 8543037

A plea was also made to Indian civil society subsequent to this.

Links to earlier reports on Abdus Samad:

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 347 of 2021

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 55 of 2022

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 176 of 2022

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 237 of 2022

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 22 of 2024

1258hrs:

Slipped up again somewhat. I did manage to sleep soon after midnight but didn't get up until 1030hrs, despite actually waking up at 0730hrs. Meanwhile, all cylinders are firing viz. Human/Data, Soil, Waste and Water Management.

Generating 18 hours of output in every 24 is essential. That remains the fundamental target into the 22nd day of 2024.

....

The opportunity to deal with hypocrisy has been served on a plate to us by some of our co-citizens in reference to attitudes on religious harmony amongst the population of AJK:

 

Here's the public note in English followed by Urdu:

Water is a route to peace, not conflict

It is true that I sent the water (collected on the 12th of July  2023 at Sharda and sent via London soon after) to my fellow Riyasatee Ravinder Pandita - Founder of Save Sharda Committee Kashmir - though it was not intended for Ayodhya and neither did he ever mention that it was. 

Having said all that, he is free to use it as per his religious convictions, just as we Muslims pay reverence to Makkah, in Saudi Arabia, without being politically obligated to that country.

Reclaiming the trust of our fellow Riyasatees is a necessity to bring them back into the national fold of Jammu Kashmir & Allied (areas) #JKA . 

For that, we take as many meaningful steps as possible, within the parameters of humanity. 

As a public policy principle we do not get embroiled in controversies that emerge out of India, Pakistan or anywhere else. Our geopolitical neutrality depends on that.

We strive to build mutual confidence between all regions and religions of JKA, even if some of our actions or activities may initially create misunderstandings over our strategy to deliver a 1,000 year peace to this territory.

JKA PUBLIC AGENCY Note: #E214822012024

..

"پانی امن کا راستہ ہے، تنازعہ کا نہیں"

 

یہ سچ ہے کہ میں نے شاردہ کے ایک چشمے سے 12 جولائی 2023 کو پانی نکال کر بذریعہ لندن اپنے ایک ہم وطن باشندہ ریاست، بانی "شاردہ بچائو کمیٹی کشمیر " جناب رویندرا پنڈتا، کو پہنچایا، البتہ یہ پانی ایودھیا پہنچانے کی نیت سے نہیں دیا گیا تھا اور نہ ہی میرے اس ہم وطن نے اس کا ذکر کیا تھا،

 

یہ سب تسلیم کرنے کے بعد گزارش یہ کہ رویندرا پنڈتا جی  اس پانی کو اپنے مذہبی مقاصد کے لئے استعمال کرنے میں مکمل آذاد ہے، بالکل اسی طرح جیسے ہم مسلمان سعودی عرب سے آب زم زم کو بغیر کسی سیاسی مخاصمت کے استعمال کرتے ہیں،

 

اپنے ہم وطن باشندگان ریاست کو جموں کشمیر و متحدہ علاقہ جات میں واپس لانے کے لئے اعتماد دلانا ضروری تھا،

 

اس مقصد کے لئے ہم انسانیت کے دائرہ کار میں رہتے ہوئے  ہر ممکن اقدام اٹھائیں گئے،

 

عوامی پالیسی کے اصول کے مطابق ہم ایسے تنازعات میں نہیں پڑتے جو انڈیا، پاکستان یا کسی بھی بیرونی سازش کا شاخسانہ ہوں، ہماری سیاسی غیر جانبداری کا دار و مدار اسی حکمت عملی پہ منحصر ہے،

 

ہم کوشش کرتے ہیں کہ ہم سب  علاقے اور مذاہب کے پیرو کاروں کے درمیان باہمی اعتماد پیدا کریں جن کا تعلق ریاست جموں کشمیر و متحدہ علاقہ جات سے ہے،

 

اس کے باوجود کہ بعض اوقات ہمارے کچھ اقدامات ابتدائی طور پر غلط فہمیاں پیدا کرتے ہیں اس حکمت عملی پر جو ہم نے ایک ہزار سال کے امن کو قائم کرنے کے لئے اس دھرتی پر تیار کیا ہے،

 

#جےکےاے پبلک ایجنسی نوٹ

#یو214822012024

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 296 of 2023

1833hrs:

Change always begins at home with oneself:

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 159 of 2023

0833hrs:

Progress is discernible but not as yet overwhelming, as it is likely to become in the coming days, weeks and months.

We have now improved our daily routine to waking at 0730hrs, half an hour's improvement on yesterday (viz. 0800hrs) but still one and a half hour away from our optimal target of waking at 0600hrs. Nevertheless, we will get there.

Here's our daily morning walk video:

#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 17 - #Kurti #Kotli #08062023 That morning walk in the lush greenery of our motherland is the best way to start the day. We are inching closer to the target time of 0600hrs. Today, we reached 0730hrs. pic.twitter.com/yGO1mCw0tw

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) June 10, 2023

....

A productive day commenced with a lecture on productivity at Dhamol, Kotli:

We were then requested to give a brief lecture on #AJKReferendum2023 :

....

Later in the afternoon, we had our first TikTok interview of the day which also happens to be our eleventh TikTok offering:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 17 - #Kotli #AJK - DTG #08062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

Soon followed by our twelfth TikTok offering:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 17 - #Sehnsa #Kotli #AJK - RHN #08062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

.... 

Again, like yesterday the above clips were replicated on YouTube shorts viz. eighth and ninth: 

Here's our 8th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/lK3YzYoETK

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 12, 2023

 Video short 9:

Here's our 9th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/heeAGsVPJI

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 12, 2023

.... 

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 85 of 2022

1705hrs:

Day 55 at Martyr's Square Kotli

We put the folowing question in Urdu to the closest 100 businesses in the vicinity of Martyr's Square (Shaheed Chowk) Kotli, using a 360 degree radius.

Roman Urdu:

Hum yaha Shaheed Chowk me aik 48 foot ka tower banana chahtey hain jis me hum Riyasat Jammu Kashmir ki ehem maloomaat rakhna chahtey hain jo purey Jammu Kashmir ki zameen ke record aur Riyasat ke bashindo ke record pe mushtamil hoga.

Aur aisey towers hum saari Riyasat ke baqi 41 azlaa me bhi banaana chahtey hain.

Choonkey Jammu Kashmir ka aini wa qanooni ikhtyaar sirf aur sirf yaha ke bashindo ko haasil hay lehaza hum aap ki razamandi lena chahtey hain.

Aap is awaami mansoobey se ittefaq kartey hain ya ikhtilaaf?

Aap apna muwaqaf wazai karey....

English:

We wish to build a 48 foot tower here in Martyr's Square in which we will store critical public (interest) data including the land and inhabitant's (citizen's) record of the whole State.

We also wish to build such towers - in the most prominent public squares - of the remaining 41 districts of the State.

(Remaining 9 in AJK, 10 in Gilgit Baltistan, 10 in Jammu, 10 in the Kashmir Valley and 2 in Ladakh)

As the legal and constitutional 'right to rule' (sovereignty) over Jammu Kashmir belongs solely to its inhabitants, thus we wish to obtain your consent.

Do you agree or disagree with this public interest initiative?

Please clarify your stance or opinion....     

 

Interviews conducted between 22/03/2022 to 26/03/2022

Result: 90 - Agreed 

Replies:

1) Ittefaq (Agreed) (65)

2) Naik kaam hay (This is virtuous work) (7)

3) Achi baat hay (It is a good initiative) (3)

4) Yes (3)

5) Hum aap ke saath hain (We are with you) (2) 

5) Theek hay - hona chahiye (Ok. It should happen) (2)

6) Achi soch hay, jaari rakhey (Good thinking, keep it up) (2)

7) Ok (1)

8) Jo Kashmir ki cheez hay wo Kashmir me hi honi chahiye (1)

9) Is tower se humey koi shakaayat nahi (We have no complaints about this proposed tower. (1)

10) Alaa Kaawish ka muzahira hay (This is a supreme effort) (1)

11) Bahut khoob hay. Achey kaam karney chahiye (This is great. Good work should be carried out) (1)

12) Riyasat Jammu Kashmir ka bashinda honey ki haithyat se humey ye haq haasil hay ke hum apna alaihida record rakh sakey. Humey apni rai deney aur us par amal daraamad karney ka pura haq haasil hay. (On account of being a citizen of Jammu Kashmir we have the right to maintain our own separate record. We are fully entitled to give our opinion and to implement that opinion) (1) 

10 - Didn't agree

Replies:

1) We have done this before and cannot repeatedly sign petitions.

2) Mubarak Sb ka kaam behtar hay (The work Mubarak Bismil Sb is doing, is better).

3) Jo Mubarak Bismil Sb chowk bana rahey hain, wo behtar hay (The square that Mubarak Bismil Sb is making, is better). 

4) Jo Mubarak Bismil Sb kahengey me unke saath hoo (Whatever Mubarak Bismil Sb says, I am with him). 

5) Says his elder brother can decide. We should ask property owners rather than businesses.

6) We don't agree.

7) Aap kisi zimidaar authority se rojoo karey (Please enquire from a competent authority).

8) Ikhtalaaf baraye muntakhib jagha (I disagree with the location, not with the project).

9) This is good but we want the government and you to spend money on poverty alleviation.

10) I cannot take such responsibility. I will ask my elder brother. I sincerely respect you from the inside.

Other Notes:

1 - Ilyas Malik (Ilyas General Store) Someone in his family died. Visited his shop on 3 different days.

13 - shops in 100 shop radius were run by Pakistanis.

End....

Here's a Pahaari version of the above, albeit in the form of video commentary:

....

This is why I describe AJK as a territory with almost 0% governance:

The road seen in the picture goes from the Tatrinote cross point to Donga Ghamir known as Defense Road.
Seems like the road is awaiting a drastic accident.

We want to ask the government, should people reconstruct this road themselves too, like before? @PMOAJK @farooq_pm pic.twitter.com/JAaNqk4qL5

— AKLM Official (@AKLM_Official) March 26, 2022

And our forests:

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 327 of 2019

1014hrs:

A challenging night spent in our vehicle.....what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Chela - Muzaffarabad

Now, it is important that we make our activities in public interest as transparent and as accessible as possible. Even more than we have done thus far. The resources (mental, physical, financial and in terms of time) are always there in the society in question. They just have to be identified and activated according to each co-citizen's capacity.

We had to use cardboard to stave off the wind and rain as the 2 front windows in my vehicle do not close, on account of the electric motor being jammed. 

We put out a message for financial assistance - what I've described as our self determination fund (SDF) since 2014 - to 64 co-citizens at home and abroad. 2 responded immediately to intimate that they would contribute as soon as possible while 1 other said he would contribute when he returned to the Middle East. He was currently on holiday at home and hence his current resources were limited.

It is Important to go through a lot in order to achieve success for public interest, otherwise everybody would be queuing up to do this work. We got through the night unscathed. Meanwhile, a student in Muzaffarabad from my home tehsil of Sehnsa has invited us to stay with him tonight. My assistant has decided to make use of the time at hand and work on cleaning the vehicle and begin addressing its faults. Of course, over the years I have had to neglect a lot of what the vehicle needs as I'm so absorbed in my work. It definitely needed manpower to devote attention to it and thus I feel my prayers are answered somewhat.

We also put out the word to many co-citizens that we are in search of accommodation on a long term basis. By right as citizens and inheritors of this territory, we should have access to one of many government buildings that are not in use. A prime example is the old concrete building at the Red Fort in Plate. It has been disused for years.  

Our night tonight is a lot less challenging than last night, as we are in comfortable surroundings around students, most of whom hail from my ancestral tehsil (subdivision).

We use this opportunity to begin discussion on the concept of a People's Assembly to make up for the legislative lacunae that exists in AJK's Assembly. If possible, we want to organise this assembly for a Sunday in December, whereby we invite 100 co-citizens divided by representatives of each tehsil according to their population ratio, to the grounds of the Assembly Secretariat for a session on public policy. What is the criteria for these 100 representatives? That they are capable of speaking consistently for public interest and are able to protect what they say. 

How do we get through the logistics of this novel exercise in public interest?

We will work that out in due course but proceed one step at a time. The discussion has just begun and it will take shape over the coming days.

....

Meanwhile, we decided to make full use of the sun's appearance - after a few days of incessant rain - by revisiting an important heritage site in Muzaffarabad:



....

Day 3 - Back at Laal Qila (Red Fort) in Muzaffarabad...Owning our heritage.....

Discussing water management, soil management and waste management. This formula is our key to world class governance:



We also discussed what happened in Norway at Laal Qila (Red Fort) in Muzaffarabad today:

Urdu (Roman)

Teesri din (mojooda safar par) Laal Qila Muzaffarabad me hum ne Norway ke waqaye par bhi guftagoo ki.



.....

Our time at the Red Fort didn't end yet. We had to interview this young child, enforced by circumstances to earn a daily wage for his family:



.....

In the late afternoon, I was invited to a civil society forum here. It is comforting to know that we have made some progress in our efforts to develop civil society here, since our first forum in December 2009. At that time, we had difficulty in explaining the concept and couldn't mobilise many people. Today, many activists in Muzaffarabad have taken the initiative and have also succeeded in engaging the AJK government too. Now, I can analyse and assist in developing this relationship, without which we cannot address any of our problems, let alone our enduring national question, which is firmly within the grip of the following 5 countries: China, India, Pakistan, UK and USA.

Here are my notes at Civil Society Forum - Muzaffarabad:
                 
- Policy making needed    
- For industry/entrepreneurship 
- Police corruption incl traffic police
- Medical corruption
- Water corruption
- Electricity corruption       
- Waste issues              
- Frustration over lack of economic opportunities
- Parking issues  
- Over abundance of Rickshaws in the city                       
- Food quality control                     
- Blood donor fees     
- Organising public interest
- Take one issue at a time
- Solutions not analysis      
- Public/civil society and relationship with Government
- Urban development issues         
- Unenforceable reforms because of collective habits or political connections?

Is accountability possible?

The above notes were expressed in words in the following video:



In the evening, as we drove to our resting place, the vehicle's diesel tank also gave heavy indications that it needed urgent replenishment.

......

Opening Bal. 3

X:
80D - Kashmir tea x 2
(150 spent by assistant on multiple tea and kahwa from 500 he received on 20/11/19)
250 - B & H cig.
100 - Assorted dry fruit, Capstan cig and nimko etc...by assistant

Y:
200 - MD
150 - KA

Material/in kind support:
250 - breakfast, channa, half-fried egg, bakarkhaani x 2, dry paratha, kahwa x 2, tea x 2 - KSA
Kahwa x 2 - MD
Pakoras (quite a few, I eat more than anybody else) at Civil Society meeting
Guavas and warm fire - MD
Kahwa x 4 - KSA

SDF (Self Determination Fund - in other words 'public funding' requests):
1) 

MD - The gentleman I asked laughed it off although he does contribute in kind from time to time.
MD - This gentleman also shrugged off the request despite contributing in the past.

Abbreviations:

Bal. - Balance

X - Outgoing

D - Debt (incurred)

cig. - cigarettes

Y - Incoming

KSA - Sehnsa

MD - Muzaffarabad

Closing Bal. 3

........