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OpiniOn
Shah Faesal quits IAS
for people’s cause
In the past, no one had dared to say it openly that he or she has
dilemmas stepped down to protest against the unabated killings in Kashmir and
absence of any credible political initiative by the Union Government
HumrA
QurAISHI
y very first spontane- Kashmiri lives matter…”
ous reaction to the Shah Faesal’s decision to resign from
The Delhi-based writer news reports of Kash- the civil service to join politics and with
and columnist’s books mir cadre bureaucrat that try and reach out to the Kashmiri
include Kashmir: The Shah Faesal resigning masses, relays volumes. For one, it’s a
Untold Story. She co- M from the Indian Ad- clear indication that as a civil servant he
authored a series of ministrative Service (IAS) was that of sur- could not reach out to the people he was
writings with the late prise. A pleasant surprise. Mind you, no supposed to reach out to …couldn’t really
Khushwant Singh and civil servant opts to resign and that too serve the people of his state. Perhaps
her short stories are at the peak of his or her career. It’s one of coming in way were the heap of political
part of anthologies. those rare exceptions. An angry or rebel- interferences and intrusions.
The views expressed lious civil servant could proceed on long Also, stands out the fact that out-
are her own or short leave but wouldn’t really resign dated sarkari service rules do not permit
from a service that provides absolute sarkari men to speak out freely and
power. Of course, not to be overlooked whole heartedly. Yes, in today’s ‘devel-
the endless creature comforts that come oped’ India, civil servants are more than
along. expected to function tight — lipped; little
Also, not to be overlooked the vital fac- sanction for them to speak out, argue and
tor of bureaucrats’ close proximity with dissent, or expose the ground realities.
the political rulers; that hand-in-glove Remember, months back, Shah Faesal
sort of situation where the bureaucrats was questioned by his seniors for his hit-
seldom display the grit to veto or bypass ting comments on the rapes taking place
their political bosses. Even the most in today’s developed India!
disgruntled civil servants would sit down Of course, after quitting the service, far
to pen their memoirs long after they have away from the outdated ways of the very
retired; cozy and content with an array of bureaucratic system, Shah Faesal, would
retirement benefits in their clasp. be able to speak out and not sit stifled
I could go on and on with the crucial in the corridors of power where voices
‘whys’ bureaucrats would not opt to re- and views are so very systematically and
sign from the civil service, but let me fo- ruthlessly silenced.
cus on this rather offbeat case, where this Shah Faesal’s stark comments could
young Kashmiri bureaucrat, Shah Faesal, prove to be rather too uncomfortable for
who had topped the 2010 civil service ex- the Modi-led rightwing government at
aminations, decided to resign. Thankfully, the Centre. This young bureaucrat has
he didn’t come up with any of those usual been so very vocal; not tried to dilute his
mundane one-liners: resigning from disgust at the way human beings and
service because of personal reasons! Nah, with them entire institutions have been
none of those weak and camouflaged ex- affected in these recent years. He talks
cuses. On the contrary he said, loud and of the killings taking place in Kashmir,
clear, “To protest the unabated killings the marginalisation of Muslims in the
in Kashmir and absence of any credible country and also of the deterioration of
political initiative from Union Govern- the public institutions.
ment, I have decided to resign from IAS. To quote him, “the marginalization
Tehelka / 31 january 2019 34 www.Tehelka.com
