Sada-e Azadi

Farah Governor Rahool Amin recently paid his third visit to the remote district of Gulestan.

The governor’s stated goal is to visit every district in Farah province, accompanied by his staff and Provincial Council members.

Amin previously spent three days in Gulestan in July walking through villages and listening to the concerns of the elders. In recent months his government responded to Gulestan’s concerns, so the people were overjoyed to see him yet again.

“I have not forgotten Gulestan,” Governor Amin said. “I have brought officials with me to see you face to face. Since my first visit here, some problems have been resolved. I promise that future governors will come to Gulestan for a vacation!”

The shura he held that day was the largest gathering seen in Gulestan, attended by 300 elders from the surrounding villages.

“For the past three years, I haven’t attended a meeting as good as this one,” said Amir Mohammad, a former prosecutor from Gulestan. “The speeches were from the heart, and they affected the people a lot. You notice how quietly people were sitting and listening to the speech.” Hashem Khan, a census officer who also attended the shura, has listened to the governor’s speeches each time he came to Gulestan. “People have seen that things have been done that the governor spoke about in the past. Six thousand chickens were given to Gulestan as part of a women’s poultry project. Farmers were given wheat seed and fertiliser. There is a big project to bring water to a keriz. Bridges have been built on the roads, and ditches dug alongside them to separate the land from the roads,” he said.

The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development has assessed the area and compiled a suggested list of projects. Governor Amin wanted the people to know that work was being done to move these projects forward, even though the shovels had not yet hit the ground. But nothing will go forward without the assurance of security from the villagers.

“Security belongs to the people,” Governor Amin said. “They need it like they need oxygen.”

And he emphasized that the Afghan Security Forces could not provide security without the help of the villagers informing about insurgent activities. “Don’t give food to the insurgents,” he implored. “They will take your chicken, plus kill your family. One night they will share a meal, the next night they will kill your family.”

The governor’s speech was echoed and reinforced by the provincial director of the economy and by the director of the counter narcotics department.

“One jerib of land can turn a profit,” said Juma Khan Bashari, head of the counter narcotics department. “Drugs will sow sadness instead of profit. Farmers benefit only 10 per cent from growing poppy. Ninety per cent of the profit goes to foreigners. I assure you, if you plant anything else, you will benefit more than 10 per cent.”

Governor Amin believes strongly that good governance requires face-to-face interaction with the people in order to be effective. “If a governor just sits in his office, why do you even need a governor? He could just sit in an office in Kabul and call you on the phone,” he said.

His approach seems to be making a difference in Farah province. “Security is improving in Gulestan. People are getting closer and closer to the government,” Amir Mohammad said.