Chechian (Mirpur)

Chechian is a village the Mirpur Tehsil of Mirpur District of Azad Kashmir and its geographical coordinates are 33° 5' 0" North, 73° 45' 10.

Demography

According to 1998 census of Pakistan, its population was 663.^[1]

History

The village gets its name from the Chechi clan of the Gujjar tribe. The Chechi clan is believed to be descended from shri Ramchandra's/Rama the legendary Indian king regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu. Legend has it (mentioned in ancient Sanskrit text) a war broke out between the Hindu gods, a battle waged in the heavens, the underworld gods had ravaged the opposition, legend has it that the gods called in the Gujar tribe, but in specific they called upon the chechi gujars who "killed" and destroyed gods and demons alike and returned man and the god's back into a state of peace. Chechian is one of the most famous villages in district Mirpur AJK. It was founded by Mahand Chechi (also known has Bava Chechi by locals) in around 14th century. There is speculation that Mahand Chechi's lineage/family is from a community originally known as the "Brethren of Sincerity". Since the villages finding the head is always chosen from Chechi family.

Chechi family produced very famous and proud honourable people who served the community with their justice and social reforms. Traditionally Chechi family owned the vast areas of land in Chechian and surrounding areas and their main occupation was farming, long before that the Chechi clan were brutal and savage warriors. The younger generation is more diversified and established their name in highly professional occupations such as chartered accountants, doctors, lawyers and police officers.

Famous people from the Chechi Gujjar tribe include: Mehr/Mihira Haji Mohammed Hayat(Late), Haji Mohammed Bashir (Late), Choudhary Gul-Nawaz Chechi, Choudhary Alhaj Allah Ditta Choudhary, Haji Mohammed Nazir, Haji fazal karim (late), Choudhary Qurban Hussain Chechi (Late), Mehr/Mihira Haji Muhammed Riaz (son of Mehr Haji Mohammed Hayat and current official mehr of Chechian), Ejaz Ahmed, Abbas Riaz Chechi (Grandson of Mehr Haji Mohammed Hayat), Dr. Tahir Nawaz-Chechi (General Medical Practitioner), Mr Ishtiaq Nawaz-Chechi Esq Solicitor-Advocate, Haji Maqsood Hussain, Haji Mahmood Hussain, Matloob Hussain, Mahboob Hussain, Yaqoob Hussain, Maroof Hussain, Choudhary Shahzad Atique (Inspector police), Choudhary Shiraz Khalil (Chartered Accountant), Choudhary Shahid Haqiq, Haji Altaf Hussain, Aftab Hussain, Sarfraz Hussain sons of Haji Fazal Karim.Ch. Mohammad Siddique and Ch M Shabir Sharif (Lawyers, Choudhary Mushtaq Hussain (Son of late Choudhary Qurban Hussain).

(Mehr/Mihira; meaning title of honour; tribal regional leader: Currently Mehr Muhammed Riaz. The Mehr title can be given, gained or inherited; currently inherited by predecessor [Mehr Mohammed Hayat] (approx) 1995. Although the current Mehr Riaz resides in the United Kingdom, he still remains an active and influential individual in many affairs, activities, decisions and tribal disputes.

The Chechi family has always been proud of its contribution toward religious and social work. Mehr Alhaj Allah Ditta Choudhary, philanthropist and social leader, carried the tradition by building new mosques, religious schools and, water projects and welfare centre in Chechian where free education is provided to poor and needy children. Haji Mehr Mohammed Nazir has two grandsons who are Quran Hafizs, Hafiz Asif Hussain and Hafiz Zahed Hussain.

Chechian is also proud by producing very famous political family of Azad Kashmir. Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry became prime minister of Azad Kashmir in 1996.

Like many villages in the Mirpur region, many of its residents have immigrated to the United Kingdom and send foreign exchange and remittances.

Local geography

Chechian is situated around 10 kilometres from the Mirpur AJK City. It is surrounded by mountains on one side and famous River Jhelum on the other side. The nearest towns include Mangla, Afzalpur and Jatlaan. The famous Pakistani city of Jhelum is also not far if you decide to cross the river by boat. The famous landmarks of the village include world famous shrine of Sufi and poet of Punjabi language Mian Muhammed Bukhash (Author of Saif-Al-Mlook), Women Degree College Chechian and Islamic University Campus for Men. Shrine or Darbaar hosts many events and religious gatherings throughout the year and also offers a free meal for all every day.

The Chechian’s main shopping market or bazaar is one of the biggest in the town and many shoppers come here from neighbouring villages and towns. The main occupation of people here is farming and agriculture. Chechian is very famous for its Basmati rice.

Power and water

Chechian has power from Mangla Dam a hydroelectric station providing the region with green energy! The village experiences power-cuts of a few minutes a night on a frequent basis. The nearby river Jehlum has hydroelectric turbines running throughout it. It has many bridges: (pedestrian, animal & scooter/ motorbike crossings, others big enough for vehicles) along its length connecting the two sides. Chechian still lacks basic running water pipes & a water treatment plant. Most water drank by the people is from private wells or bottled water. The local water is safe to drink but not is recommended for non-locals. Most plastic, metal, paper, other recyclable materiel is collected by some people and sold in the city of Mirpur as a means of income.

Education

There is a government degree college for women in Chechian.^[2] There are also several elementary schools for both genders. There is an Islamic university for males. The university requires no fees or money from its students/public as it is funded by the local "khari sharif peera sha gazi darbar" - which is a famous monastery and shrine. The Monastery also provides Quran classes on a daily basis and free food for all every Friday; it is considered a blessing and people from all ranks of society are encouraged to eat together and as one.

References

Coordinates: 32°14′N 75°03′E / 32.233°N 75.050°E / 32.233; 75.050