Note: Both these annual documents have been lumped into 1 blog entry. Specifically because there was no entry for the corresponding date in 2014 and generally because non-stop activism on the ground in these years has given me little time to consolidate and categorise the data generated.
Also note that the url (web) links have also been updated and may appear to be different from those originally written at the time.
Kashmir - One Secretariat
Khuiratta Sub-division HQ (Office 1) - Kalri Sub-division: Sehnsa (Office 2)
Working Proposal for 2014
(Of J&K’s first genuine public institution, addressed to the citizens of AJK and it's diaspora)
Brief Profile and Background:
Have lived in this region un-interrupted since April 2005 and undertaken - on my own initiative - a step by step (top>down followed by bottom>up) logical approach to conflict resolution whilst analysing the needs and aspirations of the people living in this marginal territory, referred to as Azad Jammu & Kashmir (one part of seven disparate territories formerly known as the Princely State of Jammu & Kashmir). This followed a life mostly lived in the U.K. where I had worked as a journalist since late 2001. Experience covered Newspaper/Radio/Web, including stints in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Current Activity:
1) Daily (Diary) Blog at ajkpublicagency.org
This was (re)initiated on January the 16th. An urge to define Riyasati (State) Agency has been high on my mind’s agenda for the past couple of years. This 8 years and 10 month old journey has by-passed mazes at every juncture to define a path for creating a genuinely indigenous process for resolving our lingering ‘National Question’. Put simply, it began with the concept of forum > Institution > Agency. Subscribe to my daily diary to unravel this pain-staking process @ ajkpublicagency.org
2) Self-Determination Public Fund - AJK
Although over 130 citizens have contributed to the concept of ‘Freedom and Responsibility’, the pace is too slow to conduct the initiatives titled as ‘current activity’ and ‘proposed public initiatives’ in the on-going document. The idea is to gradually employ one citizen outside each Post Office throughout AJK at a starting salary of 300 PK Rupees per day (During Post Office opening hours between 9am to 4pm, 6 days a week excluding Sunday) beginning from Khuiratta Post Office on Saturday morning, the 8th of February. This will be a monthly addition to the annual funding structure and will entail the payment of a mere 10 to a maximum of 50 PK Rupees per citizen per month. The legal basis for this activity and all other activities conducted by Kashmir – One Secretariat can be referenced from Article 21 of the UN Charter. As for the Institution’s constitutional structure, it endeavours to conform to the impending genuine constitution of the State and essentially operates as an interim framework which inherently intends to support all public efforts to evolve the very State’s own constitution. Links: ajkpublicagency.org and www.kashmirone.blogspot.com
3) Operation Clean-up
This is a public effort to cleanse the environment of Tehsil Khuiratta from litter, garbage and other dirt (dust) etc. beginning from the Town Area or Bazaar of Khuiratta itself. Consultation with various citizens has been ongoing for the past few months and this initiative aims to be as transparent, consultative and inclusive a process of ‘governance’ as never witnessed before in AJK. It entails the payment of 10 PK Rupees per business per day and will include a daily record of output achieved. It has been understood that the inhumane governing system prevailing in AJK puts a heavy toll on the mental capacity of citizens to envisage change and thus - with cleanliness constituting half of faith - this activity could prove to be the catalyst we’ll all been waiting for. Link: ajkpublicagency.org
This is being conducted on the basis of an ownership-building measure by civil society, hence independent of the CBM structure initiated by India and Pakistan in January 2004. Experience of Chakothi and Tithrinote in particular and the Indo-Pak peace process in general, has delivered ample evidence that confidence-building between the two countries is conditioned on being mutually beneficial at the expense of Kashmiri aspirations and needs. Dividends achieved so far – though not insignificant – are bereft of Kashmiri ownership. This route would hopefully provide a model reference for incrementally opening other routes (throughout the divided territory) in due course. Efforts in this regard have been on-going for over two years and have included discussions with the two countries manning the LOC. Link: kotlirajouri.blogspot.com
5) 'Matters of the State' - a live net video and recorded audio broadcast
In the absence of effective electronic media in AJK, a need has been felt to develop a centralised and consistent media forum to connect and highlight matters of public interest in AJK, relay them to a domestic as well as global audience and use that as a tool to make public institutions accountable to the public. Noticing the lack of connectivity of our largest diaspora in the UK with matters in AJK, an effort is also being made to link this programme with local radio stations in Birmingham, Bradford and Luton. Links available via ajkpublicagency.org at Bambuser and Ipadio
6) National Survey
A 10 question (random) survey of AJK's population covering our unresolved 'national question' and matters of 'good governance'. The aim is to generate as genuine and as representative a sample as possible by conducting one-to-one interviews with 10,000 people; giving proportionate weight for each sub-division, district, profession and tribe (including the diaspora). We aim to complete this survey this year during a walk through every tehsil (sub-division) of AJK. The Document entitled 'NATIONAL SURVEY ON A CITIZENSHIP WALK ALONG THE LOC' is available at the following link: www.kashmirone.blogspot.com
7) SMS Democracy
Regularly assessing and presenting public opinion via SMS on issues of 'national' concern and posting questions and answers (anonymously to protect the public's identity and to elicit as genuine a response as possible). Link: maloomaat.blogspot.com
8) Media
Regular update of media content (audio, photo, text and video) generated in AJK (includes content generated in Pakistan and Indian controlled Kashmir) and all accessible from my blog: ajkpublicagency.org
9) Diplomatic/Academic/Media/Security Exchange
Engaging with various local, regional and global institutions covering the above ‘disciplines’ and exchanging notes on current affairs, particularly in the context of Kashmir’s lingering ‘National Question’. Discussions also include possible association or joint efforts on addressing matters of ‘good governance’ given the aforementioned context.
Proposed Public Initiatives:
1) Freedom of Information Act
Lobbying for transparency, accountability and meritocracy necessitates a legal tool to empower civil society activists and all other concerned citizens to bring public finances, institutions and individuals clearly into the public domain. This needs to be implemented by the current Legislative Assembly.
2) Consensus building for the formation of a Constituent Assembly in AJK (and GB)
Having failed to transition from an autocracy (pre 1947) to a genuine democracy post 1947 (via a consultative public process), a cloud of ambiguity and stale ad-hoc-ism surrounds the current governing structure in AJK. A former Chief Justice has kindly offered to give lectures on the topic at the Bar Associations, Press Clubs and University Campuses of Mirpur, Kotli, Rawalakot and Muzaffarabad.
3) Holding a global forum at the PC Hotel in Muzaffarabad
The idea is to create the necessary civil space to discuss and resolve our outstanding 'National Question' by inviting local as well as international stakeholders to our territory and aiming to initiate a form of 'open diplomacy', rather than relying on others (with compulsions of conflict) to resolve our future. The intention is to invite the political section of 5 or 6 countries (most of whom have been engaged in discussion within one's time here) including political figures/activists from GB, Ladakh, the Valley and Jammu as well as writers/activists from our neighbouring countries and further afield. An invitation would also be extended to academic experts who've done work on Kashmir as well as personalities of AJK who live in the diaspora.
Merging Freedom with Responsibility:
Aspiring for freedom is a natural human condition - not peculiar to Kashmir – however, it requires a proportionate set of responsibilities that must be agreed and acted on collectively so that the fruit of freedom can transpire. One has tried in every sense to understand and work to resolve our predicament of wrestling back our basic rights and entitlement to ownership of our territory. It has been learned that nobody is going to solve our 'National Question' for us, the burden is entirely ours and we must be seen to fulfill it.
Maintaining a civic intent and posture whilst recognising our legal and constitutional right to map out our future requires painstaking civil society work at all levels, utilising all mediums. It is crucial that one transforms their individual efforts into a nascent State institutional set-up. Understanding the deficiency (or even absence as some suggest) of governance in AJK, the responsibility once again lies with the citizens who are being 'governed', to devise solutions and deliver. Hence, the institution in operation (Kashmir - One Secretariat) cannot possibly operate as a private enterprise. Bearing in mind that the current 'governing' structure cannot be replaced 'overnight', a gradual capacity-building exercise is in order and the public of AJK (and it's diaspora) must play their part in inducing positive change. Otherwise, the majority of us will increasingly suffer from not engaging on our own terms with each other as well as with the rest of the world.
Much of the format, structure and other relevant details have appeared in previous versions (linked at www.kashmirone.blogspot.com). Thus far, over 3,000 citizens have received this document and the aim is to reach at least 100,000 citizens by the end of this year.
i) Donors must be citizens of the AJK portion (of the divided territory) or their descendants.
ii) Citizens in AJK who earn more than 50,000 PK Rupees per month or have assets worth over 50 lakh (50,00,000) PK rupees are requested to contribute 1,500 (one thousand five hundred PK rupees) per year.
Iii) Those resident in AJK who don't meet the above criteria but wish to contribute to this public institution-building exercise can contribute up to 500 PK rupees per year.
Iv) Working citizens of AJK abroad are requested to contribute the equivalent of ￡20 (British pound sterling) a year, which works out to be just over 3,500 PK Rupees at current exchange rates.
v) Each citizen can pay their respective annual fee up to two years in advance i.e. maximum £40.
vi) If any citizen feels genuinely motivated enough to want to contribute more than the equivalent of £40, they will be requested to provide a video interview explaining their decision in public interest.
The idea behind this format is to request those financially able stakeholders (citizens) to play a 'relatively' equal part in taking responsibility for our present predicament and a brighter future. Upto February 2013, one has relied almost entirely on their own sources or their family to avoid 'compromising' on their objectivity and hence Kashmir's future. Since then, aside from a few academic assignments paying very modest fees, one has totally relied on the public for subsistence.
Payment method(s):
1) Paypal via www.kashmirone.blogspot.com or ajkpublicagency.org
2) At a UK Bank: Barclays Bank Plc. 170 Dunstable Road, Luton, Beds. LU1 1EY
Account Details of Sibling: Mrs A Rafique - Sort Code: 20-53-31 - Account No.: 33455564
3) Via EasyPaisa, OMNI or HBL Freedom Account by contacting me on 03455044252
Notes:
- Whichever method is used, please notify me via email at sahaafi@gmail.com with the date of transaction, name, city (abroad) as well as home locality in AJK and a contact number so that I can send you an indexed receipt. In all circumstances, I must be informed and citizens are requested not to give payment to anyone without informing me. So that I may uphold the concepts of transparency and accountability before you: the public.
- A database of citizens has been generated over the years that I’ve worked in my motherland. This will remain confidential and only accessible to recognised and publically accountable citizens.
- If certain targets pertaining to public output are not achieved by the 31st of December 2014, then I will have no option but to return to the UK (possibly settling for academic work in Switzerland). Of course, a detailed analysis of my time in AJK (which will be 9 years and almost 9 months by this date) will be subsequently available in book format and other mediums. I hope for the sake of our lingering ‘National Question’, for the martyrs who gave their blood and the citizens whose untold energy has been sacrificed; that results are achieved and the world does not perceive us to be incapable of creatively using our initiative.
Created by Tanveer Ahmed – Writer, Broadcaster and Activist working for civil society development in AJK
Footnote:
This document remains the property of Kashmir - One Secretariat: an ownership-building exercise undertaken in AJK (Azad Jammu & Kashmir) Contact: 00 92 (0) 345 5044252 – Email: sahaafi@gmail.com Petition: petitiononline.com/kokoi5End of public document 2014.....
AJK Public Agency - Working Proposal 2015
(Of J&K’s first genuine public agency, addressed to the citizens of AJK and its diaspora)
A decade-long public discovery from citizen > forum > institution > agency
Monday, March 30, 2015 (Edition 6) - The first edition was published on 21/06/10 and copies of all previous editions are available upon request
Brief
Profile and Background:
Have lived in
this region un-interrupted since April 2005 and undertaken - on my own
initiative - a step by step (top>down followed by bottom>up) logical
approach to conflict resolution, whilst logging/recording/analysing (via text,
photo, audio & video) the issues and aspirations of the people living in
this marginal territory, referred to as Azad Jammu & Kashmir (or AJK for
short and one part of seven disparate administrative territories formerly known
as the Princely State of Jammu & Kashmir). This followed a life mostly
lived in the U.K. where I had worked as a journalist since late 2001.
Experience covered Newspaper/Radio/Web, including stints in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
Upon arrival in 2005, I used whatever I could of personal resources and when they were exhausted by 2008, I relied totally on my family to support me to 2010, since when a combination of public support (financial and in kind), regular support from my family and limited teaching, editing, writing, translating and consulting assignments have indisputably helped in creating Jammu & Kashmir's first genuine public agency > institution > forum, arguably since the beginning of mass-organised public formation of 'assertion of rights by subjects as aspiring citizens', during the autocratic Dogra regime’s rule in 1931.
Like others I do not fascinate with the word ‘I’. However, in the context of the citizen’s (former subjects or their descendents) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK will be used here-on) struggle for basic rights (achieved in some shape or form by arguably most inhabitants of the world), I firstly acknowledge and salute the contributions of all those citizens and subjects before me of their sacrifices in life, wealth and honour. Without their reference, what I’m working on would not have been a rational exercise.
As for mainstreaming the word ‘agency’ into public thinking, whereby ‘public’ linguistically refers to, “of, relating to, or concerning the people as a whole”, agency acts as a publicly funded delivery mechanism which avoids interference from external sources and holds public interest supreme at the cost of personal benefit. Its use is all the more important considering how external agencies have consistently denied the supremacy of public interest in AJK, exhausting all political avenues for delivery.
I agree with various other ‘public interest practitioners’ across the globe that ‘awareness builds through action. Not the other way around’. Rarely does the average citizen wake up in the morning planning to contribute to public interest, thus I have adopted direct interaction techniques with the public to successfully receive over 500,000 (units of Pakistani rupees) in public donations since 2010 - from around 2,000 citizens of AJK (at home and abroad) - all logged and available for public scrutiny. Whilst achievements, activities and recognition (public, diplomatic and academic) have been listed in previous annual public documents, the increasing intensity of my engagement with the public makes me feel increasingly accountable and ever more conscious of my need to develop an indigenous public process through which our common struggle for basic rights can come to fruition. Some citizens have made the very valid point about expansion of public interest activity through other citizen members and it must be re-iterated that I have tried various methods to expand from ‘I’ to ‘we’ with mixed success, as commitment to public interest for local citizens has its own challenges. Nevertheless, efforts to realise this necessary condition continues through the current concept of identifying 32 public agents throughout AJK, each representing one tehsil (sub-division). See sub-heading 3) below:
Current
Activity:
1) National
Survey
A 10 question (random) survey of AJK's population covering our unresolved 'national question' and matters of 'good governance', begun in the summer of 2011. The aim is to generate as genuine and as representative a sample as possible of public opinion in AJK by conducting one-to-one interviews with 10,000 people; giving proportionate weight by population for each of the 32 sub-divisions, whilst also aiming to cover each and every profession and tribe (including the diaspora). This exercise is scheduled for completion by June this year. This will be followed by a summary report with stats available in both English and Urdu by July.
A 10 question (random) survey of AJK's population covering our unresolved 'national question' and matters of 'good governance', begun in the summer of 2011. The aim is to generate as genuine and as representative a sample as possible of public opinion in AJK by conducting one-to-one interviews with 10,000 people; giving proportionate weight by population for each of the 32 sub-divisions, whilst also aiming to cover each and every profession and tribe (including the diaspora). This exercise is scheduled for completion by June this year. This will be followed by a summary report with stats available in both English and Urdu by July.
2) Daily
(Diary) Blog at ajkpublicagency.org
This began in 2007 when I was closely following the relationship between India and Pakistan. It immensely helped in providing an alternative medium of expression and I was able to log my 2007 bicycle ride from Torkham (Afghanistan’s border) along the GT Road to Wagha (India’s border), as well as my bicycle ride from Sehnsa to Muzaffarabad in 2009. Subsequently, though I‘ve strained to log every day’s activity on this blog, the abysmally receding access to the internet in AJK since early 2013 has hampered me. Nevertheless, whatever is noteworthy of my experience in public interaction everyday will eventually be accessible for the public through this medium: @ ajkpublicagency.org
This began in 2007 when I was closely following the relationship between India and Pakistan. It immensely helped in providing an alternative medium of expression and I was able to log my 2007 bicycle ride from Torkham (Afghanistan’s border) along the GT Road to Wagha (India’s border), as well as my bicycle ride from Sehnsa to Muzaffarabad in 2009. Subsequently, though I‘ve strained to log every day’s activity on this blog, the abysmally receding access to the internet in AJK since early 2013 has hampered me. Nevertheless, whatever is noteworthy of my experience in public interaction everyday will eventually be accessible for the public through this medium: @ ajkpublicagency.org
3) An indigenously-created Political
Process
While getting to learn much about the behaviour, opinion and history of each region through the national survey (1 above); I was astounded as to the level of co-operation, hospitality and usually very frank opinion on the state of public affairs in AJK. However, amongst the very few reservations on the utility of trying to create a representative sample of public opinion in AJK was the assertion that the 'West' (sometimes also generalised as the 'International Community') know only too well as to the opinion of the public of Kashmir. While this may be true of the ‘West’, they also know that the public of Kashmir have not conclusively laid out an implementable road-map for acquiring their aspired goal of determining their future, which some may choose to describe as independence in short. In other words, they've never taken the initiative to conduct an exercise of self-determination, they've only sought it (mainly verbally without clear reference to public opinion or organised, representative character) and even that with mixed or convoluted aspirations.
While getting to learn much about the behaviour, opinion and history of each region through the national survey (1 above); I was astounded as to the level of co-operation, hospitality and usually very frank opinion on the state of public affairs in AJK. However, amongst the very few reservations on the utility of trying to create a representative sample of public opinion in AJK was the assertion that the 'West' (sometimes also generalised as the 'International Community') know only too well as to the opinion of the public of Kashmir. While this may be true of the ‘West’, they also know that the public of Kashmir have not conclusively laid out an implementable road-map for acquiring their aspired goal of determining their future, which some may choose to describe as independence in short. In other words, they've never taken the initiative to conduct an exercise of self-determination, they've only sought it (mainly verbally without clear reference to public opinion or organised, representative character) and even that with mixed or convoluted aspirations.
An indigenously created political process in AJK - if implemented - could not only settle the above impasse (according to various foreign analysts the issue of Kashmir is not progressing towards a settlement). Indeed, one seasoned British journalist with good working knowledge of the region, exclaimed that he had no idea as to how a solution of Kashmir could be arrived at, in a write-up after a visit to Srinagar last year. An indigenous political process created without external influence with the agreement of the public could also settle the constitutional ambiguity of AJK and perhaps even act as a model political process for the other disparate regions of the State; namely Gilgit Baltistan, Jammu, Ladakh and the Valley of Kashmir (the heart of the dispute between India and Pakistan, the heartbeat of the Dogra constructed erstwhile J & K state and the generic name/idea/concept behind a civilisation possibly older than 7,000 years). Areas under Chinese control would foresee-ably necessitate an alternative mechanism of conflict resolution.
In summary, the essence of this proposal is linking public activity with public interest monitored and financed by the public. Our problem needs to be solved by us through developing a consensual framework that can be presented to the International Community. My role, I have come to envisage, is to help prepare our citizens for this task. Consultation with the public on this ‘process’ is ongoing and will be publicly discussed throughout the 32 sub-divisions of AJK in August/September, once 32 public agents representing each respective sub-division emerge. Please follow my blog @ sahaafi.net to meaningfully participate in this unfolding process.
Rough
outline of indigenous political process; subject to on-going consultation with
the public of AJK:
1st stage: 1771 (Administrative villages or mozaat)
2nd
stage: 189 (Union Councils)
3rd
stage: 32 (Sub-divisions or tehsils)
4th
stage: 10 (districts or azlaa)
5th
and final stage: 3 (divisions encompassing the regions of Mirpur, Muzaffarabad
and Poonch)
The
task is to first identify 32 public agents (one from each sub-division of AJK)
who qualify according to the following criteria: For him or her to be
1)
Non-political
- In terms of party affiliation or interest beyond those of a citizen of AJK desiring the State of AJK to be in control of its public affairs.
2)
Business-free
- Beyond or except being a recipient of subsistence rent or performing necessary duty as part of family network.
3)
State Agencies-free
- To not be operating as an agent of any sovereign nation-state or similar entity beyond the borders figured at 84,471 sq. miles.
Upon identification, they would take responsibility for identifying public
agents at union council and moza level. Likewise, district and division level
public agents would be identified from amongst them. Once, these 1771 public
agents throughout AJK are identified, then an indigenous political process to
identify political representatives from moza to division level can proceed. The
initial 1771 public agents would be performing a non-partisan administrative
role in managing, monitoring and administrating the political process.
Citizen
Participation:
Consultation
As I strain to
utilise the ‘collective wisdom’ of our public at all times, each and every
citizen (at home and abroad) is encouraged to engage with this unfolding indigenous
political process through various communication means available. Your suggestions,
evaluation and perhaps most importantly monitoring to ensure public interest
adherence is crucial to the success of this exercise.
Financial
i) Donors must be citizens of
the AJK portion (of the divided territory) or their descendants.
ii) Citizens in AJK who earn
more than 50,000 PK Rupees per month or have assets worth over 50 lakh
(50,00,000) PK rupees are requested to contribute 1,500 (one thousand five hundred PK rupees) per year.
Iii) Those resident in AJK who don't meet
the above criteria can pay as little as 10
PK Rupees to participate in this wholly public interest-oriented exercise.
Iv) Working citizens of AJK living
abroad are requested to contribute the equivalent of £20 (British pound sterling) a
year, which works out to be just over 3,000
PK Rupees at current exchange rates.
v) Each citizen can pay their respective annual fee
up to two years in advance i.e. a maximum of £40.
vi) If any citizen feels genuinely
motivated enough to want to contribute more than the equivalent of £40, they will be
requested to provide a video interview explaining their decision in public
interest.
The idea behind this format is to request those financially able stakeholders (citizens) to play a 'relatively' equal part in taking responsibility for our present predicament and a brighter future, whilst minimising the possibility of me succumbing to personal interest.
The idea behind this format is to request those financially able stakeholders (citizens) to play a 'relatively' equal part in taking responsibility for our present predicament and a brighter future, whilst minimising the possibility of me succumbing to personal interest.
Payment method(s):
2) At a UK
Bank: Barclays Bank Plc. 170 Dunstable Road, Luton, Beds. LU1 1EY
Account
Details of Sibling: Mrs A Rafique - Sort Code: 20-53-31 - Account No.: 33455564
3) Via
EasyPaisa, OMNI or HBL Freedom Account by contacting me on (0092) 3455044252
Notes:
- Whichever
method is used, please notify me via email at sahaafi@gmail.com with the
date of transaction, name, city (abroad) as well as home locality in AJK and a
contact number so that I can send you an indexed receipt. In all circumstances,
I must be informed and citizens are requested not to give payment to anyone
without informing me. So that I may uphold the concepts of transparency and
accountability before you: the public.
- A database
of citizens has been generated over the years that I’ve worked in my
motherland. This will remain confidential and only accessible to recognised and
publicly accountable citizens.
End of public document 2015.....
Footnote:
Created by Tanveer Ahmed – an aspiring technocrat claiming to be assisting in the formation of J & K's first genuine public agency, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
End of public document 2015.....
