In a shot in the arm for dissenting voices from Kashmir, bureaucrat turned politician Shah Faesal, as well as two People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders; Sartaj Madni and Peer Mansoor, are all set to be released from detention after the Jammu and Kashmir government revoked provisions of the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) under which they had been charged.

Shah Faisal shot into prominence when he resigned from the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in January 2019, protesting the unabated killing of Kashmiris, and then went on to become one of the most prominent dissenting voices from the region as he launched the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM) party. He was also extremely vocal about the manner in which article 370 had been abrogated in Kashmir and was detained along with several other leaders of PDP as well as the National Conference including Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.

Omar Abdulla welcomed the news of Faesal’s release tweeting, “Good to hear @shahfaesal , Peer Mansoor & Sartaj Madani have been released from their unjust PSA detention. Disappointed that @MehboobaMufti , Sagar Sb & Hilal Lone continue to be detained. It’s high time they are set free as well.”

Good to hear @shahfaesal, Peer Mansoor & Sartaj Madani have been released from their unjust PSA detention. Disappointed that @MehboobaMufti, Sagar Sb & Hilal Lone continue to be detained. It’s high time they are set free as well.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 3, 2020

Also Nayeem Akhtar who remains under PSA along with Sagar Sb in a government bungalow on Gupkar road. He too should be released without any further delay. There is no justification for their continued detention.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 3, 2020

Not to mention the many others under informal “house arrest” for the last 10 months. It’s time the rule of law is applied to all equally & these leaders are allowed to leave their homes without their “guards” locking them inside without cause, justification or any detention order

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 3, 2020

In a previous interview to SabrangIndia’s co-founder Teesta Setalvad, Faesal had spoken at length about human rights issues and democratic values in Kashmir. The entire interview may be viewed here:

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Shah Faesal, the founder of the political party ‘J & K Peoples Movement’ has been vocal in his dissent over the situation in Kashmir, more so after the scraping of the special status of Kashmir.

There were speculations as to where he was headed when he was detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday, with some saying he was going to Harvard while others claim he wanted to fly to Istanbul. Shah Faesal has been detained under the People’s Security Act.

Nearly 150 students, faculty and alumni members of the Harvard University came out in support of Faesal, who has also been a Harvard student and demanded not only his release but also that of other political leaders who have been arrested.

The contents of the letter are:
………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………
To the Government of India,                                                                      
15 August 2019

We, members of the student, faculty and alumni community of Harvard University, stand in solidarity for a democratic and peaceful means to ensure stability in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.

We are concerned about the latest restrictions and arrests of many local leaders including a Harvard student and politician, Shah Faesal.

We urge the Government to release Shah Faesal and other local leaders. We request the government to take credible action keeping in mind the democratic rights of people during the process of bringing peace to the Valley.
 
Students, faculty, alumni and affiliates of the Harvard University,
……….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The signatories to the letter are from India and also several nations across the world such as Israel, South Africa, France, Pakistan, Palestine, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Spain, Iraq, Cannada and many states of United States of America including Latin America.

Courtesy: Two Circles

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Shah Faesal had been sharply critical, post August 5, about the government’s move to end special status to Jammu and Kashmir and split it into two union territories. On August 7, two days after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution, he posted powerful words on his facebook, ‘Everything Has Been Lost. Except Our Resolve to Fight Back’
 

Yesterday, August 13, he warned on Twitter that Kashmir “needed a non-violent political mass movement” for restoration of political rights.

“Kashmir will need a long, sustained, non-violent political mass movement for restoration of the political rights. Abolition of Article 370 has finished the mainstream. Constitutionalists are gone. So you can either be a stooge or a separatist now. No shades of grey,” the 35-year-old tweeted on Tuesday.

Shah Faesal is the latest among mainstream Jammu and Kashmir politicians to be placed under house arrest. Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been under arrest since August 4, as part of a huge security clampdown to prevent any major backlash following the government’s Kashmir decisions. Phone and internet services are still down in the Kashmir Valley and curfew-like restrictions are in place.

In another message on twitter, Mr Faesal had said: “There is no Eid. Kashmiris across the world are mourning the illegal annexation of their land. There shall be no Eid till everything that has been stolen and snatched since 1947 is returned back. No Eid till the last bit of insult is avenged and undone.” He was accused by critics of sedition.

Shah Faesal, an MBBS, quit IAS in January to protest against what he called “unabated killings” in Kashmir and the “marginalization of Indian Muslims”. He became the first Kashmiri to top the IAS exam in 2009.

On August 10, in an interview with co-editor Sabrangindia, Teesta Setalvad, he spoke of how “Parliament was being used to demolish democracy (in India) brick by brick.”

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Kashmir is experiencing an unprecedented lock-down. From Zero Bridge to Airport some movement of vehicles is visible. Other places are completely out of bounds. Except for patients or those with a curfew pass.

It was not possible to reach Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Sajad Lone or send a message to them.

In other Districts curfew is all the more strict. You can say that the entire 8 million population has been incarcerated like never before.

As of now there is no shortage of food and essentials.
My sources in Administration told me that Sat Phones given to officers are being used to coordinate the civil supplies. No other means of communication is available.

Those with Dish TV have access to news.  Cable services are down.  Many people still have a bleak idea of what happened.  Radio was working till a few hours ago. Most people are watching DD.
National media is also not being allowed to move into interior areas.

LD hospital is functioning beyond its capacity as expecting women are getting admitted days in advance to avoid any last moment hassels.  Some people are planning to run langars there.

No violent incident has been officially reported so far. Random incidents of stone throwing were reported from Rambagh, Natipora, Downtown, Kulgam, Anantnag. But no news of any killings.

People are in shock. Numb. Yet to make sense of what befell them.  Everyone is mourning what we lost.

In my conversations with people besides 370, it’s the loss of statehood that has hurt people deeply. This is being seen as the biggest betrayal by the Indian state in last 70 years.

Few leaders who have escaped detention called for calm through TV channels.  It is being said that the government is ready for a casualty figure of 8 – 10 thousand. So sanity demands that we don’t give anyone a chance for mass massacre.

My appeal has also been that let’s stay alive,  then we shall fight back.

The body language of forces personnel manning the nakas is extremely harsh. JKP is totally sidelined.
One guy told an acquaintance of mine that now we are going to show your place to you.

Such stories of locals being bullied have reached me from many places. But its extremely heartening that Kashmiris are staying calm.

Those who wish to travel to Kashmir should avoid doing it for some time.

Even if the curfew is relaxed the situation will remain extremely volatile.

At airport I met crowds of heartbroken youth asking me questions about what should we do now.

I said we shall go to Supreme Court together and ask for reversing this injustice.

All political parties are together on challenging these unconstitutional laws that have deprived us of our history and identity.

As of now that’s the only hope.  International community has shut its eyes. So I am not expecting anything from there.

The sad fact of life is that only Narendra Modi and Amit Shah can one day give back to us the wealth that has been stolen from us in broad day light.

But then what’s lost has been lost. Or Perhaps everything has been lost. Except our resolve to fight back. And we shall.”

https://www.facebook.com/528278350/posts/10157444195263351/

This note was originally published on Shah Faesal’s Facebook page. It has been edited lightly for clarity.

The post ‘Everything Has Been Lost. Except Our Resolve to Fight Back’: Shah Faesal on Kashmir appeared first on SabrangIndia.

1. What difference you are going to make in politics? How will you succeed where others have failed?
That’s a very pessimistic way to look at things. I don’t think everyone has failed. Politics is a great instrument of change. I think I can add value to politics by using my experience as a civil servant.

2. As a Politician, you can do a lot more for people than being an IAS officer. What will be your plans, how you are going to make a difference?
Politics has a wider canvas. We not only get to work for the people but also speak for them.

3. People in mainland Indian might feel that your resignation might be an indication of you supporting the anti-India narrative in Kashmir. What will be your response to them?
I support the people’s narrative. There is nothing like an Anti-India narrative.

4. Your statements as a civil servant mattered and made headlines, now your every statement will be seen like any other politician. How will your voice matter?
It was untenable to speak all the time as an officer. I am sure I can strike the right chord with the youth. There will always be an audience for what I speak as long as I speak sense.

5. You have cited quite emotional reasons for your decision in your Facebook post. Does joining politics change any of those concerns?
These are all political challenges and can be fought back politically.

6. When were you first approached by National Conference and what was your first reaction?
Omar Sahib has been very gracious. He encourages me not because he wants me in his party. The NC never approached me.

7. How do you think politics will help? Did you feel helpless as a bureaucrat?
Politician and the bureaucrat work in the same public space. Both do the same kind of work. Developmental work mainly. Politics then, in addition, is about the joy of representation and action at the grassroots level.

8. How can the Kashmir issue be resolved?
I am not here to prescribe any solutions. My point is that we need to create conditions for the solution to be discussed. Demilitarisation, repeal of harsh laws, release of political prisoners etc can be as the really important confidence-building measures.

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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India tried to harvest a huge crop in Kashmir after Shah Faesal’s appointment was seen as a positive change through the Indian spectrum. On daily basis it was being said that Kashmir has a potential to produce men like Shah and by positive media hype Mr. Faesal became a household name in Kashmir. He headed some vital departments in Kashmir province including education and hydro power but being a topper in IAS was his achievement and a contrivance for India to highlight his character.

On various points he was made a scapegoat by the politicians of PDP-BJP coalition govt. where he openly exemplified his resistance or opposition. Despite the all odds he as an administrator was always acclaimed by the common masses of Kashmir where politicians merely invite a praise and trust. After some years of service he left Kashmir and joined a reputed university in USA (Harvard) for further studies.

Back home in Kashmir the situation was worsening day by day and innocent killings at the hands of uniformed men were a routine. Shah Faesal, recently wrote on a wall of a famous social media platform that Harvard changed his mind set vis-a-vis Kashmir issue. But it is not only Harvard university which helped Mr Faesal to understand the Kashmir issue, last year he took to social media where he openly called India a “Rapistan”, (Patriarchy + Population+ Illitracy + Alcohal = Rapistan) after reacting to a news item, “Porn addict rapes 46 year old mom in Gujrat. On this juncture he was issued a show cause notice by his bosses in the New Delhi. Then again he went a step forward on the controvercy of repealing the Article 35A of the Indian constitution; he threatened Indian state with his harsh words that repealing article 35A of the constitution would end Jammu and Kashmir’s relationship with rest of the country. He compared this very article with a marriage deed (nikahnama). Even he dared India that if this article gets repealed then the relationship is over and there will remain nothing to be discussed further, despite having a special regard with the integrity and sovereignty of Indian state Shah Faesal suggested Indian politicians that the JK’s special status must not be touched at all because it keeps no threat to the integrity and sovereignty of India. In 2017 the mob lynching episodes in India, where Hindu fanatics attacked Muslims to death could not silence Mr. Faesal, he very often criticized the Indian govt’s approach towards these incidents and beyond any doubt these intolerable happenings also changed the mindset of Mr. Topper regarding the Indian politics. On such basis he was even called as an anti national person but being a govt. servant he was made silent on regular basis.

It is a fact that time decides everything and it has its own course, a couple of years ago Mr. Faesal argued with open heart that Kashmiris have no choice but to go back to the drawing board and see what went wrong and at the same time advocated Indian supremacy. He even advised fellow Kashmiris not to hope against the might of the state. It is the nature of Kashmir conflict which has a potential of changing the mindset of people. Shah Faesal advocated India and tried to refurbish the decaying bridge between India and Kashmir by suggesting separatist camp to windup their business of false hope and macabre heroism and to find a dignified exit. Mr. Faesal is an intellectual and has a hold on conflict studies across the world, he must be well aware of the fact that conflicts involve the parties easily but not let them go with alleviation and betterment.

After witnessing a continuum of innocent killings Shah Faesal recently got a dignified exit from the post of India’s highest civil administrative service. He is now free to live his life with the highest percentage of dissent. Now he is not an advocate of any integration theory because all such theories have fallen apart. What he was earlier is not now; now India and Kashmir both have new images in his mind. Now saffronization, intolerance and rising hatred in India has planted new seeds in his character, he is now totally intolerable to the unabated killings in Kashmir   at the hands of Indian forces. Conscience needs simply a drop of nectar to wake up and any time one can comprehend the whole scenario around him. Leaving an affluent and esteemed service is not a good job because it is a position which allows you to deliver the goodness to the needy masses but witnessing bloodshed with mum is simply the nature of callousness.

What if Mr. Shah Faesal joins the pro India politics at this juncture? It is a fact that people who remain in power in Kashmir doesn’t lead the aspirations of the people and who lead the aspirations are always out of power that too languishing in torture centers or jails. We have seen that after a good turnout in polls, India highlights that for its benefits   and make that equivalent to the UN resolutions. People here vote and elect the local governments for their basic necessities (Road, Water and Electricity) as even claimed by the major political figures of the state. Question is, if little developments happening here can be done by the bureaucracy working under the governor installed by the center then what is the fun of having a local elected government. Prior to the polling we have witnessed a trend that politicians are selling the dreams of high value but once acquiring the power continues the detested legacy of betrayal. First the local politicians of Kashmir distance themselves from the Kashmir issue and seek pro people dimensions because they know advocating India directly during polls will hamper their victory. But after managing victory their tone of deliverance changes at once and they start following the directions of New Delhi whole heartedly. This goes in reverse as the peoples will gets a massive set back by their betrayal. Very recently when Mustafa Kamal of National Conference was lecturing against the New Delhion TV shows his brother Dr. Farooq advised him to keep mum because bosses in Delhi weren’t happy with his anti India approach and they will create hindrances in his win from Pattan assembly segment. What does this signify? Can’t any one from pro-India political camp speak like that? Mehbooba also during her initial political carrier high jacked the peoples will and time proved her nature recently when she tied the knot with saffron brigade. Now International affairs have shown us that day to day governance shall not hostage the aspirations of common masses and it also revealed the facts that under heavy militarization no democracy can sprout because occupation by force will not allow you to show your dissent at any case. Militarization calibrates a pre defined boundaries for you and you have to be bound by the set norms if you try to hop up then your wings are not your own.

Ishaq Begh is a Kashmir based political analyst Email: ishaqbeghkullar@gmail.com

Courtesy: https://countercurrents.org/
 

The post Mr. IAS What Next? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Faesal, a 2010-batch IAS officer, was the first Kashmiri to top the civil services examination held by the Union Public Services Commission, or UPSC. His appointment was then seen to reflect the changing mindset of Kashmiris.

Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times

The post How India’s Far Right Regime is Losing the Plot in Kashmir appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Shah Faesal, who emerged as a youth icon in the state after he topped the UPSC exam in 2010, surprised many, particularly people outside the state of J&K, by announcing that he is quitting from government service to protest against the “unabated killings” in the state.
The resignation of IAS topper Shah Faesal baffled some and amused others in his native state. TwoCircles.net spoke to a cross-section of society regarding his decision.

Tariq Ahmad, a teacher from North Kashmir, called Shah Faesal an ambitious personality. “His decision to join mainstream politics is only going to be beneficial to the major political narrative. For him, his decision is right because he felt a bureaucratic handicap in the system,” said Ahmad.

Saqib Magloo, a Srinagar-based Journalist said Faesal had a history of ‘gimmicks’ and that he had long been implying that he was going to join politics sooner or later.

“For Kashmiris, it wasn’t a surprise given that they know their politics well. Even on social media, people aren’t expressing any surprise over his joining the politics,” he added.

Shah Faesal hails from a remote village in frontier district Kupwara of Kashmir. He topped the IAS exam in 2010 and was allotted the home cadre of Jammu and Kashmir where he worked as District Magistrate, Director of School Education and Managing Director of the state-owned Power Development Corporation.

According to unconfirmed reports, Faesal will be contesting from the North Kashmir parliamentary constituency which was won by the Peoples Democratic Party’s Muzaffar Hussain Baig in the 2014 general elections. At the time of his resignation, Faesal was on leave, pursuing a master’s degree as a Mason fellow at Harvard University. “He applied for voluntary retirement the day before but the process takes time since it has to be approved by the home ministry,” reports said.

Mohammad Saleem, a Banker, believes that Faesal could have served the society better by continuing with his job for a few more years.

“Now he will be like any other ‘disempowered’ Kashmiri politician. To protest civilian killings, if he had just tweeted about the same it would have made headlines not only in national media but international media as well,” he said.

In a post on Facebook, Faesal said he has decided to resign from the IAS to “protest against the unabated killings in Kashmir, and lack of any sincere reach-out from the Union Government; the marginalization and invisibilization of around 200 million Indian Muslims at the hands of Hindutva forces reducing them to second-class citizens; insidious attacks on the special identity of the J&K State and growing culture of intolerance and hate in the mainland India in the name of hyper-nationalism.”

Welcoming his decision, People Democratic Parties’ spokesperson Najmu Saqib said that youngsters joining politics is a welcome move and provides a platform of greater public service.

“The turbulent times’ state is undergoing a new generation of leaders need to rise to the occasion. The present status quo of retaliating violence with violence is untenable and calls for a comprehensive dialogue with all stakeholders at the earliest. We hope the decision is taken out of conviction and not convenience,” he said.

Dr Muneeb Faiq, a highly acclaimed clinical researcher from Kashmir said while a cynical approach to anyone’s intents is not wise, it is hard to guess why Dr. Shah Faesal decided to cease to relish Indian bureaucracy.

“If he has got some realization, howbeit, that it should be welcome. But if he is giving up one government post to fight for a bigger one, then this will hardly make much of a difference to Kashmir and Kashmiris. If he thinks that he can do some good which he yearned to (but could not) while being a celebrated pen pusher he has every right to try his hand through an unconventional promotion also. His future actions will reveal the truth behind this roster-synchronized resolution,” said Faiq.

Last year, Faesal found himself in trouble when the government sent a notice to him for his tweet on rapes in India.

“You have allegedly failed to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in the discharge of official duty and thus acted in a manner unbecoming of a public servant,” read the notice by the J&K General Administration Department, which initiated disciplinary proceedings against Faesal at the request of the central government’s Department of Personnel and Training.

Faesal’s tweet read: “Population +patriarchy +illiteracy +alcohol +porn +technology +anarchy = rapistan”. The post drew the ire of the DoPT. After it issued the notice to Faesal he wrote:
“Love letter from my boss for my sarcastic tweet against rape-culture in South Asia. The Irony here is that service rules with a colonial spirit are invoked in a democratic India to stifle the freedom of conscience.”

Mohammad Zafar, a student from the region, said, “There are two paradoxes regarding Faesal resignation. One is that while he condemns state violence and cited it as a reason for his decision; he seems to have made up his mind to join the same statist stream of politics.”
The other paradox, Zaffar explains, is that he (Faesal) acknowledged in his recent article in Indian express that pro-India band of politicians is not the true representative of people of Kashmir. “I fail to understand how he is going to adjust himself among those career politicians who carry no moral compass,” Zaffar added.

Welcoming Faesal to the “fold of politicians”, former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, “The bureaucracy’s loss is politics’ gain” in a tweet.

“Actually, I welcomed him to the fold of politicians. His future political plans are his to announce,” Omar said in another tweet while responding to reports that Faesal was likely to join National Conference.

Faesal said he will reveal his future plans in a press conference on Friday.

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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New Delhi: In April this year, Shah Faesal, a J&K bureaucrat, tweeted about the components that make a rape republic. He wrote, “Patriarchy + Population + Illiteracy + Alcohol + Porn + Technology + Anarchy = Rapistan!” to describe the rape culture in South Asian countries. He recently received a show cause notice by the central government that ordered disciplinary action against him as the “Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training saw it as his failure to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in discharge of duties.”
 
Faesal, 35, is the only IAS officer from Jammu and Kashmir to have ever topped the civil services exam. He is the former Managing Director of J&K State Power Development Corporation. The 2011 batch officer has inspired many others to join the civil services and is currently an Edward S Mason Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School on study leave.

It seems that the bureaucracy has gone into an overdrive as observed by Faesal himself. “Faesal said the action was “bureaucratic over-enthusiasm”. “I don’t think this warrants any action. Rape is not part of government policy that criticism of rape would mean criticism of government policy and invite action,” he told Indian Express.
 
On Tuesday, he posted an image of the letter he received by email with a message that read, “Love letter from my boss for my sarcastic tweet against rape-culture in South Asia. The Irony here is that service rules with a colonial spirit are invoked in a democratic India to stifle the freedom of conscience. I’m sharing this to underscore the need for a rule change.”
 
Former CM of J&K Omar Abdullah defended Faesal. “Looks like DOPT is determined to chase @shahfaesal out of the civil services. The last line of this page is shocking & unacceptable where they question Faesal’s “integrity & honesty”. How is a sarcastic tweet dishonest? How does it make him corrupt?” he tweeted.

 
Not an isolated incident
In 2016, the Centre banned civil servants, officials and bureaucrats from criticizing the government on social media.
 
“Faesal, however, is not the first bureaucrat to face disciplinary action by the Centre. A senior Madhya Pradesh bureaucrat Ajay Singh Gangwar was asked to explain his “purported” Facebook post calling for a people’s revolution (jan kranti) against Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” reported Firstpost.
 
“Gangwar, who was Barwani collector, was transferred to the secretariat in Bhopal by the BJP’s Madhya Pradesh government. “The state government has transferred Barwani Collector Gangwar as Deputy Secretary in the Mantralaya in Bhopal,” a state Public Relation department official had said. In the Facebook post written in Hindi, Gangwar wrote: “Let me know the mistakes that Nehru should not have committed… Is it his mistake that he prevented all of us from becoming Hindu Talibani Rashtra in 1947? Is it his mistake to open IIT, ISRO, BARC, IISB, IIM, BHEL steel plant, dams, thermal power? Is it his mistake that he honoured Sarabhai, Homi Jehangir in place of intellectuals like Asaram and Ramdev?” the report added.
 

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