Opinion – Editorial: AKDN’s role in Hunza

Respected Abbas Sahab,
I welcome your opinion so prudently crafted and indeed you have well demonstrated the AKDNs role in Hunza and the North but I am highly diasappointed with you tone towards Durbeesh,You callede him Cowardise,Shy of himself and called Maxist,like in the West they say Jew,Please it is not justice,ou are living in asociety where justice is they base of individual and common attitudes,I fully agree with you opinion but please dont distort your argument with your non parlimentry and personal humiliation,I would say that if I do so then I am not a well representative of AKDN which has did a lot and if sent me even to London by giving me Eduacation from AKU,Its not justice with AKDN, and my stature if I am on such a high seat of learning.I expect you will apologies for it as a responsible citizen and educated person,as you have honestly given your name publicly which speaks for itself
I solute your highly meaningful and deep arguments about the role of AKDN
Hakeem

With due appologise
One more comment Abbas sahib,
You said in your last concluding paragraph

Lets Shunt those passimists and disoriented people

please explain this phrase, you SHUNT them by what ,by arguments,by embargo,by imposing the rule against freedom of expression like in underdeveloped societies,or charging them with penalties,please it would be positive if you could avoid such aggressive rather fascist(sorry to use) words likeShunt leaving them openended which may daviate your oponents from listening you.As it will be an ego entric polarization.

Its just afeedback
Hope you dont mind
Hakeem

AKDN and its international development endeavours

Under the leadership of His Highness the Aga Khan, AKDN has today emerged as a credible international development agency, comparable to World Bank, Oxfam and many UN agencies. It has inserted itself into the global system by cultivating trust, commitment for excellence, impartiality and a burning desire to change the world for the better. This vision of helping the marginalised communities in selected regions of the world stems from His Highness’ personal interests and the needs of the communities in question. AKDN now works not only in Hunza or Giligit but in East Africa, the Mid-east Central Asia, and Afghanistan. In 2002 Bonn Donor Conference AKDN contributed a whopping 70 million USD in helping rebuild war torn Afghanistan, thus becoming the single most important NGO showing an unprecedented commitment to that war ravaged country. Such examples clearly tell us about the global reach, interest, influence and direction of AKDN agencies. Here, we must ask the relevant question as to what is it that actually distinguishes AKDN from other international institutions and how it has helped us progress in a relatively short span of time or may be held us back. The answer to this question is not easy. In what follows we will try to shed some light on the better ways to see what could be done.

Now those who criticize AKDN actually underestimate its global outreach and overestimate its local impact in places like Hunza. While total complacency and uncritical submission may not really be useful in the long run but we must be prepared to engage in a proper critique with honesty and sincerity. We accept that without examining development and NGO policies and their consequences, without subjecting social change to proper reflection we may not be able to emerge as a confident, self-sustaining and resilient nation.

Full time submission to AKDN and other development agencies run the risk of making us dependent on their whims, policies, resources, and priorities. While AKDN has stood the test of time by demonstrating long-term commitment to social change rather than becoming a seasonal migration bird, yet we need to be careful. It may continue to show its interest in the future but we cannot do anything if circumstances change and these AKDN agencies along-with other NGOs simply stop investing further in our region. We should accept the fact that most of NGOs in Giligit-Baltistan are not indigenously based, not rooted in our own traditions and heritage. As was pointed out earlier that these institutions are global in nature thus they have global agendas. Now the question still remains as to why AKDN is so different that it should really deserve our respect, cooperation, friendship and goodwill. I think there are good reasons for and they are: AKDN doesn’t interfere in the political structure of societies and communities where it works, these agencies promote volunteerism and tolerance as opposed to selfish individualism and sectarianism, and they are committed to bringing long-term change rather than focus on short-term emergency situations. The development philosophy that underpins AKDN work is that of comprehensive change rather than focusing on a single specific sector such as poverty reduction. Given the fact that development is a complex process involving many factors including the availability or natural resources, the quality of leadership, human skills and talent. Here AKDN institutions have kept themselves apart form sensitive matters and has only tried to promote an enabling environment for flourishing of human talent and has attempted to realise

Here I would differ from Derbeesh sahip when he talks about the downsides of AK intuitions. He seems to be obsessed with AKDN’s work in Hunza only. I wonder why he doesn’t appreciate the work of AKDN in Baltistan, Ghizer, and Chitral. AKDN is not only confined to Hunza or Ismaili people. It is a development bandwagon with open arms and everybody is invited. Whoever accepts its ideology or methods can become part of it. People in Chilas resisted AKDN assistance for very long even they refused outside intervention form the UN and its agencies. For example IFAD the UN’s agency concerned with enhancing farm productivity tried to introduce some new methods of farming in Astore but the idea was flatly rejected. Well who lost at the end of the day: the poor people who have little access to education, opportunities and alternatives suffered indeed?

It goes without saying that change is one of the perennial human phenomenon, as Muhammad Iqbal the great poet epitomised this idea by saying that it is only the change that is constant in the world, all else perishes. This means that we should be prepared to embrace social change in our society, and sometimes social change doesn’t come too easily. It is often painful, difficult and even violent. Witness the great changes that catapulted European societies to world dominance today. These European societies underwent deep systemic changes over a long period of time often accompanied by wars, conflicts, and all kinds of violence. After decades of stillness we in Giligit-Baltistan and Hunza regions are at the cusp of great changes. Now the wisdom is to foster a process that actually helps us manage this change. In the final analysis we cannot live in total isolation form outside help or intervention, if don’t accept peaceful international help then violent and negative foreign elements always find ways to creep into closed societies like ours.

Finally can I also thank Abbas Ali sahip for doing an excellent job of setting the agenda right to debate the role AKDN in Hunza and in the wider GB region.

Best regards

ali al-Hakim

Dear collegues
Just see the Vedio Documentary on AKDN

it will help you many things visually understand

http://www.akdn.org/videos.asp
Hakim

Also visit an intersting vedios site to buy DVDs

http://www.agakhanfilm.org/
Hakim

Abbas!

Great job done.
I profoundly welcome ur opinion that the way you paved the overall socio economic upgradation history of Hunza as a result of AKDN’s long lasting initiatives.
Indeed it’s AKDN and the esteemed vision of Imamat of the Hour, that @ 180 degree changed the socio-economic standards of Hunza, rather I would say, of the whole northern region.
It would be absolutely unjust to give such remarks about the credebility of AKDN.

Mr. Hakeem, do look at your own language and style, I think you are not a judge and may not have the capacity to judge people’s comments on this blog. Your own attitude derails the discussions from the main focus of the topic of the debate. It is requested to express your opinion and don’t try to derail the discussions from its main point to unimportant peripheries. Phehaly Apney Giraybaan may Jankay Dikh loo.
Karim

Thanks Abbas Ali (AKDN-pampered intellecrtual).
Let me correct you that Marx (Karl0 never stipulted his theory for the welfare of pockets rather he advocated collectivism hich erroneously (by minority communities termed pluralism for their survivil amids larger communities) and he never lent support to NGOs which are agents of neoimperialism and sponosored by Golbal corporte mafia like MNCs (multintional companies). NGOs basically are brainchild of Marshal Plan of USA and its allies started in Europe afterAfter WW-II as bulwark to expanding communism and therefore you have wrongly chosen the title of “spokesman” of AKDN without understanding the designs of AKDN in NAs. Your superficiality gets you exposed when you selected the language and words for me, thanks you as it exposes yourown filthy intellectual hollowness and bankruptcy. The more you defend AKDN, the more it becomes suspicious and your ‘bogus thesis’ on AKDN is meant only to inform the web surfers that you know such and such jargons, such and such words and have gained ability to write in English which is not a fundamental for learning as though (inferiority complex indeed). Your selection of words for me rendered you illiterate what though you have gotten a paper piece called degree. I know the publications, documentaries and videos about AKDN and also know that how many million dollars were spent to bribe publishers and broadcasters. Ask any member of sister communities in NA about role of AKDN, the answer will be very shocking, fatal and full of intrigues. Where are your flourishing VOs and WOs Mr Abbas? All have been turned into pauper organizations and their deposited money has long been pilfered by the fat managers. Your people have been tied up in courts for defaults and today overall economic condition of Hunza is no better than an insolvent economy. Still you are brgging and adamant to assert that your AKDN worked miracles. You must be joking then. If it has been so why then so many of you ‘educated people’ are wandering in cities in search of jobs unable to attain self-sufficiency through wisdom and knowledge given by AKDN to you? Aping Khojas will be bad expereince and do try to become sons of soil. I still espouse the idea that AKDN marginalized people of Hunza not only in politics but also in socio-economic sphere. My humble suggestion is that please cash your rosy thesis for award of a lucrative job of course in AKDN or my be it will work for a scholarship obviously by AKDN. For all honesty you have tried you best to defend AKDN and so deserving. Let me excuse all those people who do not see wood for trees.
Bashing people as sectarian bigots, communist, socialists, fundamentalists, nihilist, existentialist, phenomenologist, capitalists and atheists will not stem criticism against your holy AKDN, Mr Abbas. Please be polite if you want to grow intellectually and your style is very close to that of Nazis which may not be fit in the scheme of new world. Your thesis is classical example of brinkmanship and comrade Marx must be turning sides in grave upon reading your thesis in which you have conveniently accused him of what he never said. Corporate goons do also miss no chance to turn Marx and Che’s ideas into their own interests. Yes I am convinced that Hunza will never experience Marxism because it is more backward and will remain the same so long as pseudo intellectuals keep misguiding people.
Cheers

Dear Friends

We call ourselves educated and Civilised, but our words are saying,we are not, we are still uneducated, debate on political issue, how to solve the leadership issues,
don,t be personal

Why this bias, Dear Editors?
I have a democratic right to protest as to why my reply to Abbas Ali was taken off the website? I may not be allowed to jump to the conclusion that it is not exclusive for certain individuals, certain regions or certain people who subscribe to protect the holiness of certain NGOs. To be polite, it is a clear bias indeed towards other people who do have dissenting ideas over the issues confronting GB. I shall keep posting my comments until I get a clarification about it.
I am happy that Abbas Ali (comments on GB sitting in London!) took many pains to bring a counter argument to what I tried to explain about AKDN. But unfortunately the editors and moderators of this esteemed web forum published his personal grudges in the form of “opinion-editorial”. This has saddened me because the forum is allowed to be hijacked or held hostage by a single person in the name of editorial. It may have been a piece of public relations (PR) which erroneously got printed as editorial putting many reverend editors to shame. I guess editors of leading newspapers would feel embarrassed and media students must be cursing themselves upon reading his Editorial. Even a layman like me can understand what is an editorial – a piece of fine writing with information, knowledge, politeness, depth, decency, respect, sobriety, quality, objectivity and above reflects the opinion of a media organization not that a personal account be called editorial. But in his ‘editorial’, the London-based Abbas vent all his anger against poor Durbeesh of Gilgit flouting all norms of respected editors. Comments based on personal grudges may well be categorized as an FIR against Durbeesh in a police station but not an editorial please.

Moreover, my humble suggestion to Abbas is that his assiduously written ‘editorial’ can be a good preface for a rosy annual report of AKDN publication (to donors of course) but no less than an insult to editorials written in newspapers or online media.
Dear Editors of PT, why were you carried away by his personal comments and why allowed this be so? It is mockery of genuine editorialists writing daily in newspapers which is also a source of embarrassment and insult to you and your valued surfers.
Upholding objectivity is real question in media organizations of world today. Therefore your editors should not stand swayed by bombardment of “rented words” that carry no meaning and relevance for my poor communities of GB. I doubt it never occurred to Mr Abbas to read editorials of leading papers before getting provoked into writing an “editorial” (PR exercise of AKDN indeed).

Now to Dear Abbas Ali (a graduate of AKU – ISMC, based in London – UK, coveted title for social marketing, dear).

I lament that you tried your best to impress the web surfers through excessive use of verbosity and junk words (NGO filth) and failed to convince people like this subscriber. Flaunting English has long been a sub-continental favorite pastime because of century-old serfdom and slavery under the British Raj and East India Company (mind that you are still in London). This approach is still upheld by many of our self-styled writers to promote their agenda and to serve their masters. So it is not surprising see this all in your ‘editorial’.

Secondly, Hunza’s intellectualism always ends up in the intellectual antics of (Allama Dr Prof) Naseer Hunzai so please don’t accuse me of being a pessimist, frustrate as I can foresee your future in Naseer’s intellectual fiasco. Do try (your best of course) to psychoanalyze the paragon of your intellectual edifice (Naseer la Hunza) before seeking remedies for my psychological strains.
Please don’t escape the debate accusing your reverend intellectual doyen of committing profanity or for that matter ringleader of his own opulent and occult cult!
After all, guru Naseer is from you, a sublime product of your culture, your land and what if he disagreed with equally esoteric dogma enterprises to promote his own!
I can find no difference between him and you. Being a student of history and sociology, Naseer merits more respect for he is blessed with creativity in a sense that he contributed to revive, preserve and promote your language through script development and as such his contributions are localized, indigenous and genuine to be honest compare to what we have been busy in “cut-and-paste”. Or, stealing words from the supermarkets of social dumping sponsored by holy NGOs in which many of us find spiritual solace.

Thirdly, I gather from your write-up that holy NGOs and MNCs have now replaced the nation states and prevailing holy practices (your discourse et al) and have much stronger than divine beliefs. MNCs do in rich states and NGOs in backward societies. Therefore, it is sin to find faults with NGOs and MNCs (Reference Ali, Abbas, London).
Certainly they deliver more than unprofitable dogmas, the latter being banking on fear and greed after death unable to feed empty stomachs.
Dear Abbas, it is an opportune time for me to withdraw from the debate that is incapable of identifying fine line between corporatization of religion and uneven development. So Mr Abbas, you may blacken thousands of pages to defend benign exploiters but I stand withdrawn. Please do try to write something on the plight of DJ schoolteachers and students of GB if time and space permits you, so that you are able to see a glimpse of all-pervasive development orchestrated by holy NGOs in GB before tracing history of ‘meritocracy’ back to 1948.
Thanks for criticizing me I really enjoyed reading ‘educated minds’.

Dear Editors of PT, it is hoped that I may be allowed space for my last contribution.
Durbeesh Gilgit

There is nothing more to say what Durbeesh has written but it is only “broth on a sea”. Readers are good judges.
Abbas

My humble request dont stop posting the comments of any one, whatever is the comments let it be here in the web, in this connection i fully endosed durbeesh view.

Dear All,

It is very much encouraging, at least to me, when I see stimulating discussions and opinion posts on political issues spanning over other interlinked issues. A very much focused response over criticism on AKDN is already been posted by the PT team written by Abbass Ali and counter argument from Durbeesh. I myself work for AKDN therefore I will not argue more on the role of AKDN in response to Durbeesh Sahib’s arguments. However, purely from my personal perspective I’d like to give another dimension to this discussion. If I look at the comments of Durbeesh from a positive angle, as we should appreciate the freedom of speech rights of all individual, he did touch some underlying issues of development stage of Hunza. Over two decades of record time Northern Areas in general and Hunza Valley in particular has achieved tremendous development outcomes. The development theory, over which Durbeesh may not agree, as this his right to, demonstrated in the history that there will be fallouts of rapid development growth, in capital management and behaviors. Therefore, we should expect and ready for certain fallouts of development, its agents, and beneficiaries and also growing conflicts, groups and emerging social school of thoughts are part of this process. At the anthological side, there is no single solution so far tested in the world which satisfies humans across the bored. Hence we must have tolerance to hear all voices around and redirect ourselves on our own ways. Therefore, I’d suggest to all readers, writers and moderators to be tolerant, adaptive and responsive to all discussions which worth to read and comment upon.

We have two sets of opinions are coming across over a discussion emerged around elections poll and turned into a discussion of NGOs and mainly criticism over AKDN. All have right to criticize on every one around, which is for me, a healthy sign of participatory good governance as we all as citizens of this country are part of governance structures in one way or the other.

Now without defending AKDN or any other civil society organization I am posing a question to respectable individuals of both right wing and left wings contributors to come up with a discussion of solutions to the problems. We should structure this debate without disliking each other. We should also avoid being judgmental to individual’s knowledge, capacities and or weaknesses. I’d suggest that we must de-link the criticism over AKDN from the Jammati issues. AKDN’s program weather at higher performance or lesser worked in other regions where there is no single ismaili. Hence, do criticize but keeps aside religion from it just for time being so that we can structure this discussion and come to a good and attainable conclusion in order to create an enabling environment to serve the “soil” which Durbeesh has rightly indicated. Now let me suggest some points for constructive and structured discussions; I’d suggest limiting ourselves to the issues and realities – we do not need to reinvent theories. around communism and capitalism – as both are going through experience of success and failure – collapse of USSR and emerging capitalist New Russia who is right and wrong? We are not here to decide let them do it!- Socialist China yet with full of Multinationals in the country – socialist Latin America, and referendums to remain in the power- and finally US designed free market economy – at a collapsing stage – affecting every one around the world – soon or later something new will come out – so lets wait for that – currently I think we need to correct ourselves keeping all this mind and decide what is good for us, hence some issues out of this encouraging debate are as under – needs all your positive thoughts to draw conclusions.

1. From Durbeesh’s comments, an emerging issue has arisen – NGOs including AKDN created a vacuum in political sphere and leadership stature in Hunza Valley –
(Please keep the context in your mind – what is the role of our political leaders in the mainstream country politics and state policy making? What is our NAs status at UN table – a de-facto affiliation with Pakistan – rotten in Indo- Pak politics? So in this context we have to decide what kind of leaders you need – in my opinion honest leaders who can at least deliver what is been planned for the people of this area by planning commission- the rest they don’t have and the can’t have influence over policy at the national level – so please comment keeping in your mind the given context- the reason is – look at Chitral- AKDN is also working there – Now they have Provincial Minister – an ex worker of an NGO – political context does matter)

2. Emerging inequality and no equitable development in Hunza: whom to blame? AKDN alone? Traditional systems of classes which still exist in one way or the other? Do we need the system before 1970? What are the potential options for coexistence? Or let’s explore the idea of Durveesh for socialist based system in Hunza to bring about equity and equality? Lets explore local but applicable solutions !!!

I would like to limit the discussions around these two if at all PT moderators allow to open this discussion. I apologies in advance from all of you, over my language, if any one of you dislike its tone. I would also like to clear that neither I am writing an essay nor a thesis and or any counter argument to any one of you.

Best

Jalal

Dear Derbeesh,
I am furious to see you comments in ur last posts calling ur opponents the people in Swat and Waziristan,You definately meant TERRORISTS and u mean the world should interfare to stop us and ur integrity before us is very doubtfulAnd I am failed to see any flexibilty in your opinion.You reject almost every aspct of an organization,and aphilosophy and even aculture.I will not shy to call you an extremist and a potential TERRORIST rather you call ur oponents with this title,please look inward also
Hakim

hahahahahahah! Hakeem Jee
I am not that wild at heart nor savage at mind as you futilely tried to portray me before the surfers. But anyway thanks be to you as after all you too got provoked into jumping the fray of “Philosophers’ Manufacturing Inc” and I respect whatever you said about me. Please note that Talibanization is more a mindset than its physical existence. Please do read the attitudes of your co-contributors as almost all have gone berserk in criticisng me. My purpose is to provoke debate by raising harsh queries. I am not an intellectual or philosopher to find solutions for yot. My job is to ask questions that are so far couched in taboos in a society which is based on pretentious values and artificial respect to each other. The journalist you quoted must be a friend of Abbas Ali, the London based AKDN philosopher, Isn’t he?

To Hidayat Karim Sahip:
You are right but it is hard for you to see your picture when you are inside the frame. I am dismayed to learn that you are also a prisoner of culture that has been reduced to drumbeating and flute playing in Hunza. You too showed zero tolerance, indeed. Why are you so afraid of criticism and critiques, Dear Advice Karim?

Dear Jalal:
The topic chosen for debate is very interesting and fascinating but I am afraid that it will trigger infighting and regimentation among local Hunza tribes by dividing them into pro-Mir and anti-Mir blocs. The period (1965-1975) signifies the last glory and glamour of Mirs in Hunza but is fraught with serious controversies and it may be hard to discuss some harsh realities at this portal. The state, economy and politics of Hunza-Nagar at that time (as a debate) is very important and therefore it will be a service on the part of PT if people who lived under these administrations are interviewed so that divergent opinions can be culled to put them for further analysis.
Durbeesh

Dear Darbeesh,
I want to shed my blood over every single word you use in your comment becasue your English is so sophisticated and literary and what not and what not.
But the smell out of this external beauty is so stinking that no body wants to look at them.Your meanings in these beutiful words are stinking because you are ahardliner.You are an AQL eKUL.And not felxible.
So if a beutiful girl is so proudy and rude boys prefer go to choose someone who is amicable and polite.
You portray aour ideas in such extenal honeycoded words but alot of smell inside.
Please value yourself and your Immense English profeciency by opening your mind and learning to smile.Otherwise your ideas and yourself will be excluded like an unwanted hair out of milking pot from the mainstream as we see here in these couple of Blogs.

With Hope of Divine Guidance

Hakeem

I would like to extend thanks to all those who have burn their night’s oil to bring forth their comments and ideas no matter in whatever form. Although some have named me with all the igniting names they knew in their intellectual engagement throughout their lives that just make me smile about those people. I would like to put here words of appreciation to Hakeem Sahib who tried to moderate wherever any of us tried to flung blindly the limits of courtesy, decency and cultured way of intellectual engagement that is the corner stone of our society in Hunza, though sometimes he himself gone astray.

The most important thing that I personally realized and happy about is that the people of Hunza have no lack of diversity of thoughts and opinions, we do not bow to one or other form of intellectual’s stipulations rather challenge it critically and it’s most important for progress. Either it is Ali-Alhakim, Karar, Hidayat Karim, Jalal or Durbeesh (though we don’t know his identity and at the same time know as well and most probably he is a friend) and others who have put forward very important questions we in the society have to deliberate upon in order to improve our beloved homeland of Hunza and its people.

Further to this Hakeem Sahib’s argument is convincing that if one does talks a language that is full of filth, indecent noise, lack arguments and based on long-windedness of polemical boosting, decent people just shove it off and it doesn’t have any intellectual worth.

Finally I thank all those who have critic me and have provided an opportunity to learn and grow further. We all need to appreciate the enormous benefits of Pamir Times and I would like to take this opportunity to request all readers to suggest in whatever way we could contribute to make this holy initiative a step ahead. I am sure most of the readers will be agreed to extend financial contributions voluntarily which we could beside intellectual services of time and knowledge as it is an important component of the soul of our tariqa as well. Let us all joined hands with Pamir Times so it could keep continue and improve its efforts to improve lives of thousands of people.

Abba Ali

Dear All,
I presume it is silly to burn midnight oil to dumpt intellectual trash littered by selfstyled intellectuals while tinkering with the complex ideas!
We must realize the fault lines of our inane ideas and thus should not take cudgels on the part of groups and organizations – in whatever name they exist – particularly when we are shorn of arguments to defend them.
Intellectual armory works when its users are equally in possession of dexterity of how to attack your adversary with his/her own chosen words. Ironically, bringing forth new jargons and phrases hardly do anyservice to build any image for volunteers of dynastical wisdom. And my request to all our valued contributors of PT is that “never choose your weaker allies to make decisions for you”.
Clarifications will not work when damage is already done. Making obscure allusions and puns may not recoup our intellectual impoverishment, of course.
The aficionados of intellectual megalomania will never be able to recognize/appreciate the efforts and contributions of their fellow people in remote areas and passing snide remarks about them simply depicts the tragedy of their thought process to which they have been held hostage for so long. One should sign out at this not-so-positive note that we should avoid staging a coup de grace (from spiritual intellectualism to erotic fundamentalism) against ourselves and must shun blackmailing people in the name of imperialistic notions such as ‘cultured ways’.
Durbeesh