WeMountains

Books and mountains are our assets. A library with excellent collection marvelous books on all subjects is in the lap of Hindu Kush and Himalaya, at @azizalidad house in Gilgit Baltistan. Both Aziz and his Mrs Ayeen are excellent hosts and it’s second home in northern Pakistan.

On the bridge in Phasu with a Torwali song

The Polyglots of Dardistan: Challenges and Opportunities || Zubair Torwa... youtu.be/G9K8T3by-rM?si… via @YouTube

The Human Cost of the Madyan Hydropower Project: Power, River and the To... youtube.com/live/1qh-BvuXB… via @YouTube

An old piece I wrote on how campaigning for languages in states like Pakistan is difficult Campaigning for languages thenews.com.pk/print/624405-c…

In case it is missed! Sharing my latest paper on the internal colonisation of the ethnic communities in North Pakistan, Gilgit Baltistan and upper reaches of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tracing the impacts on cultures, identities, language and social marginalisation. It is a study done for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan under its IA Rehman Research Award! It is open accessed and the link is given here. hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/wp-con…

Look at these children. They love their river which was destroyed by diverting for hydroelectric plant. Now the same organization tries to divert River Swat for another project Madyan Hydropower Project. @WBG_Climate @World_Wildlife @WorldBankSAsia

The Polyglots of Dardistan | Zubair Torwali youtu.be/9vGpqlskDwE?si… via @YouTube

How Dardistan became one of the most multilingual places on Earth – aeon.co/essays/how-dar… via @aeonmag

Layers of internal colonialism within Pakistan! The postcolonial state Pakistan has been suffering from an Internal Colonialism which refers to, ‘a structure of social relations and exploitation between heterogeneous cultural groups.’ Being culturally and ethnically heterogenous with four widely known major ethnic groups this structure of the social relations and exploitation is seen mostly within these four ethnic groups while the lesser populations, or the ethnic minorities, are never given any mention while considering geographical delimitation, distribution of resources, ethnicization, and political representation within the state boundaries. In the present territorial domination of these four major ethnicities live many minor indigenous groups with their distinct languages, cultures, history, indigeneity and ethnic boundaries. These minorities get the least attention in the power struggle within the power corridors in Islamabad or in Rawalpindi, Karachi, Peshawar or Lahore. Political parties claiming to represent the major ethnic groups have always been complaining of this internal colonialism but ironically, they fail to see the same where they themselves become the internal colonizers. The so-called federalist parties also do the same without expressing it. They suppress the indigenous and rights movements which rise for protecting their rights to land, resources and cultures. In Sindh the indigenous movements are crushed by these federal parties. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the major mantra is but of one majority ethic group and the entire land of North Pakistan is ascribed as their land denying the existence to all other diverse ethic and indigenous communities in North Pakistan. I would reject any label for any region of Pakistan which represents only one ethnic group further pushing the ‘others’ to the margins socially, politically and culturally!

The upcoming threat is that the government of Pakistan with some international agencies will divert the river Swat in a distance of 40 Kilometres between Madyan and Kalam town and will construct Hydro Stations, which will leave the valley without water and the tourist will not see the river swat for 40 Kilometres from Madyan to Kalam including the Bahrain Town. by @Mujahidtorwali sydney.edu.au/sydney-environ…

There is no such thing as a perfect world or a perfect life!

Tourism of Bahrain valleys in Swat Pakistan is destroyed by a hydropower project on the River Swat. #WorldTourismDay2024 Courtesy @geonews_urdu

Look at these children of Bahrain Swat Pakistan. Their river, Daral, was destroyed by the gov organization PEDO (Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization) for a hydropower project. Now, as the children find some water in this water race built by the community themselves. The children felt jubilant. The same organization PEDO is now hell bent to destroy the River Swat for such project which is rejected by the indigenous Torwali community. Shamer on PEDO. Wrath on PEDO. #WorldRiversDay #WorldBank #SaveRiverSwat @WorldBank @WBG_Climate @WorldRivers

“..Therefore, we implore the ⁦@WorldBank⁩ involved stakeholders, and interested international bodies, to reconsider the implications of Madyan Hydropower Project Swat on our community and the environment.”-⁦@zubairtorwali⁩ #SwatRiver #Madyan change.org/p/preserve-the…

Saving River Swat thenews.com.pk/print/1218305-…

A meeting is called in Bahrain Swat on Thursday ( 8 August) at 4 pm where local people including activists, general public, political workers and leaders, religious leaders et al for the campaign against the hydropower project designed on the Swat river in the Torwali belt which will divert the river into tunnels. #SaveRiverSwat

A meeting is called in Bahrain Swat on Thursday ( 8 August) at 4 pm where local people including activists, general public, political workers and leaders, religious leaders et al for the campaign against the hydropower project designed on the Swat river in the Torwali belt which will divert the river into tunnels. #SaveRiverSwat

ہمارے بچوں کے سکولوں کے راستے : بحرین سے مشرق کی جانب وادی درال ہے۔ اس وادی میں کئئ گاؤں ہیں اور ہزاروں کی آبادی رہتی ہے۔ بحرین سے کوئی پندرہ کلومیٹر کے فاصلے پر اس وادی میں آرین گاؤں کے شروع میں یہ پل ہے۔ یہاں راستہ انتہائی خطرناک بلکہ نہ ہونے کے برابر ہے۔ کوئی چار ہفتے پہلے اسی جگہ سے سبحان دریا درال کی موجوں کی نذر ہوگئے تھے۔ اس کی عمر ۱۲ سال تھی اور وہ جبران کا بیٹا تھا۔ یہی وہ راستے ہیں جن سے گزر کر یئاں اوپر گاؤں کے بچے نیچے سکول اتے ہیں، خواتین اس راستے سے جاتی ہیں اور بوڑھوں کی قسمت میں بھی یہی راستے ہیں۔ حکومت یا کوئی غیر سرکاری تنظیم یہاں اب تک کوئی راستہ بناسکی نہ پل۔ چند سال پہلے یہاں کے اوپر گاؤں کے دو بچے ریحانہ اور اسکا بھائی دریا میں گرے تھے۔ کب تک یہ چسم و چراغ گل ہوتے جائیں گے!!

Courtesy @CriterionQ