Awami Action Committee Baltistan chapter to launch movement against GB division, revival of Numbardari system
Herald Correspondent
SKARDU: The Awami Action Committee Baltistan chapter has opposed division of Gilgit-Baltistan and revival of the numbardari system described it a move to grab public land and resources and to strengthen the bureaucratic system in the disputed mountainous region.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to divide GB and revive the Dogra- and Rajagi-era outdated retrogressive system to further strengthen the oppressive bureaucratic rule and to suppress the radical resistance politics for rights in Gilgit-Baltistan,” said a statement issued by the committee after a meeting held at a local hotel on Tuesday.
The emergency meeting was presided over by the action committee spokesperson Muhammad Ali Dilshad which was attended among others by Asif Naji Advocate, Haji Manzoor Yultari, Muhammad Ali Marghoob Advocate, Coordinator Muhammad Hussain Abidi, Muhammad Shabbir, Altaf Hussain Advocate Sheraz, Syed Anwar Ali Kazmi, Akhund Ghulam Muhammad, and Qasim Qasmi.
They criticized the government plan to revive the dead horse of Numberdari system which was a symbol of oppression and fear and an instrument to exploit people during the Dogra rule, and Rajagi systems in princely states of Baltistan, Hunza, Nagar, Astore and Ghizer.
The numbardari system was relegated to the dustbin of history with the abolition of princely states in the 1970s, they said.
But the government and the establishment want to revive the system as a parallel to the democratic institutions.
“It is a conspiracy to use numbardars as ‘informers’ to spy on political activists, to sabotage the struggle for people’s rights, revive the taxes and revenue system that was imposed during the Rajagi and Miri systems and to usurp public land and resources,” they said.
The participants were of the view that while the civilized societies are moving towards democratic system all over the world and public representatives are gaining more powers while GB is being pushed back to the centuries-old feudal era.
“The current government instead of running the affairs of GB through elected representatives and democratic institutions, is trying to push the region back to the FCR-era,” they lamented.
They expressed concerns over the GB government push through rubber-stamp and illiterate numbardars to grab thousands of acres of land under the garb of “Khalsa Sarkar”.
The participants agreed to start a public contact campaign to eliminate the numberdari system.
GB’s division
The participants of the meeting condemned the statement of PTI state minister Ali Gandapur about the division of Gilgit-Baltistan and described it highly provocative and a bid to harm the unity of the people.
“We will oppose any such conspiracy and disallow any non-local minister or bureaucrat to divide Gilgit-Baltistan,” they warned.
The people of GB will decide the fate of the disputed region according to the UN resolutions and not the bureaucrats, they said.
The meeting decided to foil any conspiracy to divide GB and resist it.