Daily Diary (DD) - Day 365 of 2019

1353hrs:

So, we have got to the last day of the year after all. There has been a marked improvement in blogging efficiency this year compared to last year, when we began our evolved mission to commence daily blogging.

2018: 255 of 365 (days) = 69.9%

2019: 330 of 365 = 90.4%

2018 itself was a huge leap from all previous years whereby the intention of daily blogging was always felt but I wasn't ready for it, given the intensity of my field work.

Just for the record:

2017: 5 of 365 = 1.4%
2016: 8 of 366 = 2.2%
2015: 5 of 365 = 1.4%
2014: 4 of 365 = 1.1%
2013: 7 of 365 = 1.9%
2012: 3 of 366 = 0.8%
2011: 51 of 365 = 14%
2010: 11 of 365 = 3% 
2009: 37 of 365 = 10.1%
2008: 18 (from 29 May) of 217 = 8.3%

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We are adding yet another feature to the daily blog:

The People's Assembly Nomination Process will also be updated on a daily basis and in real time where possible.




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Today was Day 16 since we left Muzaffarabad and this is the first daily video update being made since Day 9:



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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 364 of 2019

1121hrs:

Each day brings a new resolve. Despite heavy odds against delivering public interest in AJK we march on with ever increasing determination.

We must cross barriers that we've never crossed before to realise the People's Assembly concept.

We are running behind schedule and we haven't uploaded any daily video update since the 25th of December either.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 363 of 2019

1325hrs:

Today, I finally decided to type in Urdu myself. This decision was made after going through various experiments with various co-citizens. This proved time consuming, exhausting and expensive where I still needed to pay as much attention as I would need to do the work myself.

I don't think my co-citizens fully understand the concept of research and its importance in delivering clarity in public affairs. 

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The activists of GB have always proved themselves to be more worldly-wise than us in AJK:

Why the state of Pakistan has not been deliberately providing electricity to natural Hydroelectric power station of Gilgit-Baltistan for years. pic.twitter.com/nKNX9mJq5v

— Hasnain Ramal حسنین رمل (@nisarhasnain2) December 29, 2019

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Many thanks to Ravinder Pandita Ji for promoting this clip, which covers the notion of an impending cross road where the national interests of India, Jammu Kashmir and Pakistan converge on the subject of religious heritage:

GOI cites it is Pakistan, who is not concurring the proposal, but the fact remains when I applied for LoC permit last Dec, it was rejected by J&K State CID, though entertained & cleared by RPO & SIB. Let us keep on pressing and create an awareness on both sides. Kudos to civil. https://t.co/pTQF6xdQvO

— Ravinder Pandita (@panditaAPMCC63) December 29, 2019

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 362 of 2019

2038hrs:

A death in the family took me to Sehnsa once again. Here, we met sunshine for the first time in a few days. On our way back to Dadyaal, we learned that the sun had remained absent in Dadyaal. At times this winter, this hot summer town feels like the North of Scotland.

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This video has got to be watched till the very end. The theme is of course the concept of freedom:



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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 361 of 2019

1155hrs:

We've enjoyed some slack over the past few days but hopefully that will have worked to store energy inside us; needed for our long, twisting, event packed itinerary involved in covering all 32 subdivisions (tehsils) of AJK.

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Another masterpiece of a lesson:



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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 360 of 2019

2207hrs:

As the year draws to a very cold close, I battle on with managing my data in preparation for the AJK wide tour ahead. 

I haven't made a video update today either, as there is little to add at the moment while I'm in data sift mode. For the record, today is Day 10 in Mirpur division since spending 26 days in Muzaffarabad.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 359 of 2019

2316hrs:

I could have missed today's entry quite easily but I didn't. 

A merry Christmas to all my Christian friends wherever they may dwell in the world. Here's an image from Google:

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(Update: 31/12/19 at c. 2300hrs):

In Conversation with Liaqat Hayat of JKNAP & PNA in Dadyaal on Day 9 - 25/12/19

After commemorating the death anniversary of Arshad Billoo Shaheed here in Dadyaal, we used the opportunity to converse with the President of JKNAP and Secretary General of PNA.


We discussed the current state of affairs in AJK, the wider regional scenario, PNA's strategy and an exchange of views on the People's Assembly. 

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 358 of 2019

1703hrs:

Today is the first day in many days that I'm sitting full time behind a desk, to bring my ever increasing data compilation in some sort of order.

While doing so, I also have to catch up on all notifications sent to me via various social media applications. While signing a petition to the UN to stop (India and Pakistan) from killing Kashmiri people along the LOC I have to mention certain provisos that our people as well as the world must understand. Here's my comment after signing:

Though I have reservations about the UN holding a free and fair plebiscite as I feel it is for the actual legal stakeholders (its people) to design their present governance structure, so that they can negotiate their future status. For example, we cannot have a free and fair plebiscite if India and Pakistan are controlling our population census records and also disturbing our demography. However, the UN (present in J & K in the shape of UNMOGIP) can do much to bring about a ceasefire between both armies and the UN in general, can do much to protect our fundamental rights, denied to the inhabitants of J & K since 1947. 

End of my comment at change.org ........

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As we're at home today, the daily video update has also been made here:



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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 357 of 2019

2345hrs: 

A lot of travelling today but very little work done:



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I was pleasantly surprised to find a reasonably comprehensive Urdu write-up on my work, particularly in relation to the People's Assembly framework that we are working on:



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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 356 of 2019

1225hrs:

Still in Mirpur and travelling at a pedestrian pace in our pursuit of 100 members of the impending People's Assembly.

We were unable to upload a video on Day 5 (yesterday) and despite today being a Sunday - whereby we take a video break on Sundays - we made up for our absence yesterday:

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At least some of our people are concerned about the subject of water as this shared image from a local Whatsapp group indicates. Our very own curse and the major reason for the persistent occupation of us by others:

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(Update: c.2100hrs on 26/12/19)

This is an even longer video made on water, underneath which the old city of Mirpur is submerged:



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