Resistance from a Current "Guard" / Chowkidar

Ajmal is a self appointed chowkidar in the area for past few years.

Though he was supervised by some of the residents earlier, he has become an independent security operator on his own for past couple of years, mainly as the organizers faced problems in monthly collections. That gave him an opportunity to become a security operator himself!

Absence of supervision by a Mohalla Committee has enabled him to collect from anyone in the nearby areas, who may submit to his demands. He says, now he collects over Rs. 13,000 per month, which all goes to his private funding. And nothing can be spent on community welfare from "his income".

Such a situation has enabled him also to remain absent or present at his will, and come and go as he finds convenient for himself. He is "supposed" to be on watch and ward duties from 6 PM to 6 AM.

Ajmal is a tribal from South Waziristan, and his name and identity, address, relatives and associates remain a mystery. Once during a casual verification, his name on the ID card was noticed to be different from what people generally call him with.

This person, sensing a loss to his "income" is offering some resistance, and is sort of threatening about his rights to continue to work in the area. Yesterday, he approached one of the ladies of our house at B-97, and gravely stated that Mr. Hashim's new scheme is going to deprive him of his livelihood.... It would be noted that he never deserved, and was never authorized by any organized committee to start collecting monies without receipts and without tendering them over to the area residents for proper accounting and payment of his salary.

We have a classical situation of Resistance to Change, by a person affected by that. And we need to tackle it as diplomatically, as possible.

Ajmal, who rides a bicycle, provided by one of the area's generous persons, claims that he bought this piece of equipment. He lies about it, as he thinks that most of the people do not know the fact. He now told one of the residents, that he has around Rs. 200,000 in his pocket, and may consider Taxi driving, if he cannot continue his "work". He also carries a mobile phone:.

In the recent past he told about seeing suspicious vehicles, but failed to advise the area people. In one such incidents B-95 was robbed at 1300 hours on March 10, 2007, possibly by the same persons who had arrived for reconnaissance a day earlier.

This person's various activities have always been viewed with great suspicion by people who have been observing his "work" over the past few years. Now a days he is living in the DERA near mosque, Afzal al Uloom, population of which is by itself a case of clear encroachments and suspicious activities.

[This report is for the general information of the CPLI SN GJ members.]