IAS topper Shah Faesal quits to protest against Kashmir killings
Shah Faesal, a Kashmiri IAS officer who topped the UPSC exam in 2010, has resigned as a civil services officer to protest against the "unabated killings" and "marginalization" of Indian Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir. Faesal announced his decision via a Facebook post, and reports point towards him joining Omar Abdullah's party, the National Conference. Here's more.
A bit about Shah Faesal
For those unaware, Faesal, whose father was killed by militants in 2002, became the first Kashmiri to top the civil services exam, and quickly rose to fame after his achievement. A resident of Kashmir, Faesal chose the Kashmir cadre, and has served in many state departments, including education and power. Last year, he went to Harvard University on a US scholarship for a year-long Public Policy program.
Controversy has surrounded Faesal for a while now
However, topping the UPSC exam was not Faesal's only claim to fame. In July last year, Faesal landed himself in trouble for tweeting critically about a rape case in Gujarat and terming South Asia as 'Rapistan'. An inquiry was subsequently launched against him by the Center's Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). In several other instances, Faesal has generated controversy with his social media posts and newspaper articles on Kashmir and the idea of India.
The reasons for Faesal's resignation
In his post about his resignation, Faesal expressed outrage at "unabated killings" and the "marginalization and invisiblization of around 200 million Indian Muslims at the hands of Hindutva forces" in Kashmir. He further called out the Center for the "lack of any sincere reach-out" to Kashmir and criticized the "growing culture of intolerance and hate in mainland India in the name of hypernationalism".
Faesal also criticized the Modi government's 'subversion' of public institutions
He further criticized the Modi government's "subversion of public institutions like RBI, CBI and NIA" and warned that such actions would "decimate the Constitutional edifice" of India. Faesal further warned that "voices of reason" in India could not be suppressed for long, and said that the "environment of siege" in India would have to end to "usher in true democracy".
READ: Faesal's post about why he quit the civil services
All reports point towards Faesal joining the National Conference
While Faesal has said that he will announce his plans on Friday, sources close to the development told the press that the former IAS officer is likely to join politics. Reports have stated that he is expected to join the National Conference, and there is a possibility that he might contest the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla in north Kashmir.
