Sar-Parast Aghtar

Sar-Parast Aghtar (Pasdani: سر هجوم غالب شد) or MinṭaqaʾĀmir Sijn (Rahelian آمِر سِجْن مِنْطَقَة) literally, Zone Warden, is a local-level position within the National Renovation Front, the sole legal and governing party of Zorasan. The Zone Wardens areas of responsibility differ from urban and rural areas, with the urban wardens being responsible for 50-60 households, and the rural wardens responsible for geographical areas comprising of 80-90 households. As of 2020, there were an estimated 88,320 Zone Wardens operating in the country. The duties of the Zone Wardens is to be the chief representative of the party and state at the local level, to organise "friendly and solidarity-minded communities together", to mediate neighbourhood disputes, to maintain party and state loyalty within their zone and to organise and manage denounciations.

The Zone Wardens are also charged with compiling public opinion reports for the Union Commission for Political Effeciency, which is their direct-line of communication to the national leadership. Depending on the nature of their zone, individual Aghtar Sar-Parast are entitled for a small team, usually young party members or those attending the Union Institute for Political Governance, the elite party-school.

History

The origins of the Zone Wardens lay in the prior District Associations (Javame-e Aghtar) which were established in the Union of Khazestan and Pardaran in 1954. These were neighbourhood watch type clubs consisting of 200-250 families in mostly urban areas. Every urban citizen of was mandated to be a member of an association and they were headed by Association Leaders (Javame-e Rahbaran) who were hand picked by the District Committee of the Revolutionary Masses Party. Unlike the current Zone Warden system, there were no associations in rural areas, as these constituted the support base of the RMP during the UKP's existence. The District Associations were charged with arraning political, social and cultural events as a means of fostering Ettehâd among the populace. However, during the 1970s the duties of the District Associations was mostly dedicated to observing criminal activity or political disobedience.

Following Zorasani Unification in 1980, the current Zone Warden system was adopted and was expanded to rural areas, with enlarged areas of responsibility. The system was also granted a degree of officialdom, with the establishment of staffs for Zone Wardens to rely upon. The responsibilities of the new Zone Wardens was markedly expanded in comparison to the predecessor role, with a focus on fostering Ettehâd, arranging local community events, charitable activities, leading seminars or lessons on public health, financial responsibility and ideology. In 1980, Zone Wardens were opened to clerics, enabling the party and state to use the Irfanic religious establishment's network of influential figures. By 1990, clerics constituted almost 46% of all Zone Wardens in Zorasan, this rose to 70% by 2010, as it was found locals felt more confident confiding in a cleric, especially when denouncing a neighbour or acquaintance. All clerics who apply for the position are thoroughly vetted by the local party office before being appointed.

Structure

Clerics form the majority of Zone Wardens in Zorasan, owing to their role within local life and status.

The urban wardens being responsible for 50-60 households, and the rural wardens responsible for geographical areas comprising of 80-90 households. This means urban wardens may be responsible for a single apartment building. Each Zone Warden is entitled to a staff of six, all of whom are drafted from the Union Institute for Political Governance, the National Renovation Front's elite party-school. Students working for a Zone Warden are awarded credits should they receive positive references from the warden. While the NRF appoints party members to serve Zone Wardens, non-party members are allowed to volunteer for the position, particularly Irfanic clerics, they are vetted by the local party office for "obedience and loyalty to the Sattarist-Renovationist State." In most cases, long-term party members serve as wardens and tend to be of the older dmeographic and female, while some party members take up the position as an entry-level role on the party career ladder, many individuals appointed to serve on District Committees of the NRF began as Zone Wardens. Non-Party wardens are paid a small monthly stipend for their services and can access better services, such as free dental care or access to better schools for their children. According to several sources, this monthly stipend is ₮1,440 (€150). The Zone Warden holds weekly meetings with the District Committee, in which he or she reports on the behaviour of their neighbours, results of social or cultural events, feedback on the public seminars and popular opinion.

In 2006, the Zone Wardens were permitted to recruit "block assistants" (Dastyâran-e Blok), usually one to each apartment building, school, hospital or workplace, who in turn report on the activities or behaviour of their co-workers, students etc. However, these Block Assistants tend to be appointed by the local party office rather than the Zone Warden, though they possess the intiative to do so.

Duties

The duties of the Zone Wardens are varied, though the primary duty is to report any anti-party or anti-state activities, they are to keep meticulous records on events and behaviour of their zone inhabitants. Zone Warden offices are known to hold files on every household, which is mostly digitised for ease of access by the General Intelligence Service, Union Ministry of State Intelligence and Security, and Union Commission for Political Effeciency. Other duties include the collection of subscriptions to party circulars or services, charitable donations especially for the Martyr Orphans Foundation, arranging community events such as cleaning up streets, repairing damage to buildings (especially those lived in by the elderly), street parties, political rallies, hosting seminars on public health, financial responsibility, drug awareness and cultural events such as small musical events, cinema and sports comptetitions. The Zone Wardens also had a role in national literacy and vaccination campaigns and regularly run adult-learning courses. They maintain social hygiene by eradicating the origins of transmission for certain diseases, clean and beautify neighborhoods, schools and social places. They bring attention to the needs of children, the elderly and vulnerable.

One of the most important duties of the Zone Wardens with the exception of reporting anti-party behaviour, is the weekly popular opinion reports they compile for the Union Commission for Political Effeciency. As part of this, they rely upon the block assistances to hear conservations or eavesdrop, while also hosting "public discussions", where citizens are permitted to share grievances or criticisms. These reports being sent to the UCPE and then onto the national leadership has been heralded as a success in avoiding the "sanitising of the harsh truth" by provincial and regional party committees before reaching the top, essentially giving the state a direct line of communication to the grass roots level.

Dorm Wardens

Dorm Wardens (سر به زیر پا; Sar-Parast Xâbgâh) are similar roles to Zone Wardens though are limited solely to universities and schools, the responsibilities are relatively same, but they are tasked with reporting to Campus Leaders (Pardis Rahbaran) who are in turn, responsibile for observing the activities of students and lecturers. Dorm Wardens are usually party members appointed to also serve as guides, counsellors for students and represent their interests in relation to the school or university administration. Dorm Wardens operate outside the Young Thinkers of the Union, the official student movement of the National Renovation Front.

See also

• National Renovation Front
• Ettehâd
• Command Council Representatives