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I'm delighted to know that the previous GECA office bearers, unlike WTCA, have handed over the collective and subtle responsibility of social governance of this region-based organization to the second generation of organizational leadership soon after completion of their tenure. My sincere gratitude, therefore, goes to the previous team leaders and executive members of GECA including Maj[R] Ejaz, Mr. Darjat Ali, Mr. Zafar Iqbal. Likewise, my sincere congratulations to the new team-leaders of GECA including Farman Ali, Tayib Jan, Waheed Murad and others for taking the responsibilities which is, of course, a heavy social burden to spare time, money, knowledge and skill, and above all earning and yearning the trust of the community particularly the young generations. I hope that the new leadership under Farman Ali would take an inclusive/integrated approach and play a facilitative role to our students. In this regard, I must cite that Tayib Jan himself has been an experienced teacher, and also educator of teachers who can better understand the students' affairs, their psyche and expectations, as it sounded the students have some resentments or reservations or otherwise, as this organization was initially a students’ initiative; and therefore, there could be a little reservation on their behalf in terms of acknowledgement and inclusiveness. I am a witness as, I had also been consulted by a couple of students’ representatives in the initial phase. I think that I should say that the root and inception of students’ gathering goes back to 2000 when for the first time (if amm not wrong), students of Gojal organized a program in a local hotel at G-8 Markaz (Islamabad) in the honor of Mr. Nazir Sabir , the Great, who had climbed to the summit of Mount Everest in May 2000. Besides Mr. Nazir Sabir, Brig[R] Hisam Ullah Baig (then the Vice President of the Shia Ismaili Council for Pakistan), Prof. Dr. Salman Ali and many key personalities had attended this program. So, along with the organizers, Mr. Sultan Mehmood, an employee of the UN-WFP, and others, I myself (then in my MPhil program) was a minor part of this program by designing/scheduling the program in the house of Mr. Sultan Mehmood in G-9/1 (Walji’s House), and represented the students issues before them. Inayat Ali of Shimshal was one of the compares [the video tape could be available with the organizers]. However, if I’m wrong, I could be corrected. However, I would request and advise out students to be patient and optimistic about GECA’s struggles and primary focus on the students’ affairs irrespective of any ethno-linguistic considerations; and then, of course, to serve the whole cultural communities of the region, not focused only on the Wakhi, but rather also the Burusho and Domaki. The mission and intention would be fulfilled only, if in the byelaws of GECA, if both Domaki and Burshaski language communities are included and given adequate space, which is missing therein . I had already shown these concerns of mine rather emphasized in a meeting of GECA probably in the first week of February this year [2009], when Chairman Ejaz and Farman Ali had kindly invited me, too, in this meeting, because of my facilitative and coordinative role in communicating (through email and telephonically) and introducing the GECA to and informally inviting the respective scholars from Xinjiang (China), Tajikistan (Gorno-Badakshshan and Dushambe), Afghanistan, Russia (Moscow), Germany (Mainz) and USA (California). I would earnestly request and advise our nice, talented and positively brave students of the region to strengthen GECA: this is your own organization rather than opting for and devising other fora. If I’m not confused or wrong as I saw somewhere with my meager sight that Gojal Students Organization or so has been formed. It is your democratic right to opt for such forum; but make sure that we need to unify ourselves—our students and communities, for the positive causes of the region whether it be at the scale of Gojal or entire Hunza or the Northern Areas. Parallel organizations in a region enjoy only if there is a dense population. Then there might come a positive competition and collaboration, too. But it may not suit us with this perspective that our population in Gojal is lesser than 20,000; Hunza and Shianki probably oscillates between 30,000-35,0000. Thus, forming new organizations is not a hard job, but running and sustain them with a vision, set-targets, honesty, dedication and inclusiveness is a big challenge and an expensive transaction at the expense of communal unity and cause. This holds true for any parallel organizations with such initiatives. We ought to understand that GECA, as the name also suggests or reflects, could rather should be a unique organization which is already based on a regional entity in a contrast to any specific ethnic or lingual identity; and it was necessary to be formed in this manner. Thanks to the founders, including the students, for such great step. GECA would be unique if it embraces a multiple and integrated approaches unlike a singular and segregated approach. It can dive and prove itself in a real pluralism. The features of the region illustrates as having three linguistic groups of Gojal (Wakhi, Burushaski and Domaki), three religious communities (predominant Shia Ismaaili along wih a very small number of the Sunni and Shia Ithan'artheri brethren); more than 25 ethnic groups; more than 30 sub-ethnic groups; more than 25 villages; 4 valleys and four Local Support Organizations (LSOs); two key externally imposed political ideologies (the so-called Pakistan Muslim League and Pakistan Peoples Party), apart from a sizeable number of poltiicallly neutral group; and diversity of views and worldviews at different levels, which could be a great strength and asset, of course, if perceived positively. When I analyze organizations based on sectarianism or ethno-lingual entities such as Burusho Birkish, the Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association (WTCA), Hunza Cultural Forum, or societies of Shina and Khowar languages, their scope dims and are not that much spacious, rather they are fixed to their limited sectarian, ethnic or linguistic mandates and communities. What I envision about GECA is, "An organization of a regional mandate, that is in the longer run, not limited to the present scope or mandate of education, culture and social welfare, but rather includes other sectors of development, transforms itself into a strong civil society organization (CSO), which starts generating employment and engaged with holistically sustainable development, and which is not then confined to Gojal region or in the Hunza valley, rather amends its name and rampages along with its set values and vision to the whole so-called Northern Areas or Gilgit-Baltistan having its presence and roots in the valleys of the giant mountain ranges of Karakoram, Himalaya, Hindukush and the Pamirs (the Kuhimir-an acronym and abbreviation of Karakoram, Himalaya, Hindukush and Pamir) and becomes a greater regional CSO. I went through/scanned the website of GECA, especially the "Home Page" as GECAs face. Hidayat has his generous effort, which is appreciated: well done. But being a student of social/cultural anthropology, research and literature, more particularly having my limited specialization on the Wakhi community (in social/cultural and linguistic perspectives), I would like to suggest/advise GECA to review and improve the offered text-materials conceptually, analytically and linguistically. The information provided are somewhere exaggerated and somewhere we encounter disinformation. Toponyms of Gojal needs to be corrected, both existence-wise and spelling-wise; and those villages, which are missing need to be included. When we name a village, we need to distinguish between the settlement and non-settlement. In addition, the oral history of Gojal, especially ethnological information, is polemic. The statistical figure about the Wakhi communities as a whole is very exaggerated. The locales are not clearly mentioned because of lack of knowledge to the GECA, confusion or otherwise. I must mention that the population of the Wakhi Pamiri people is not over 200,000 (two hundred thousand), but rather lesser than one hundred thousand (< 100,000). I have survey it [the population] personally by visiting the places/locales in China (Xinjiang), Afghanistan (Wakhan valley) and Pakistan. A considerate estimation follows as China (approx.17,0000), Pakistan (almost 17,000), Afghanistan (not > 14,500) and Tajikistan (max.19,000); Modern Turkey [(40) forty only]. We need to be sure that showing a great statistical figure of population cannot make the Wakhi Pamiris people valuable, even politically; but rather telling the truth about ourselves is our greatness. Sand, soil and ordinary stones have their own value and could be found everywhere, but the precious stones are not available everywhere. I would finally suggest that GECA needs to take advantage out of Zulfiar's expertise, as he has already offered his voluntary service. I wonder that how both websites, which represent Gojal region, do compensate each other; or could they be coalesced. The information on www.gojal.net is relatively improved and attractive; the information provided about the Burusho and Dom ethnic or lingustic groups is seen on this site. We need to understand, I reiterate that if Gojal as a region is our home, then both the missing linguistic groups also our family members. And here we need to show and prove the spirit of a facet of pluralism, as our beloved Imam of the Time directs not only us but rather advises the entire human beings to have this approach at societal level. I think, I threshed a lot, so with these remarks, I come to the end. I apologize, if there's any error. Thanks very much. Fazal Amin Beg
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