SRINAGAR: Shah Faesal, the IAS (Indian Administrative Service) topper who quit the civil services earlier this month, has appealed for “small donations” for what he calls a “people’s movement for change”.
The 35-year-old, who in 2009 became the first Kashmiri to top the IAS, resigned on January 9 saying Muslims had been reduced to second-class citizens. He also declared his readiness to contest the national election due by May but asserted he would not join any political party “as of now”.
In tweets today, Shah Faesal called for contributions to his cause. “It is a people’s movement for change. Be a part of this journey for clean politics and corruption free administration in J&K. Support Shah Faesal with your small donations,” he tweeted along with the details of his bank account to which donations can be sent.
Shah Faesal has ruled out joining any political party or the separatist Hurriyat Conference, saying his experience in governance cannot be used there.
The medical degree holder was widely tipped to join the National Conference of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and contest the elections from the Baramulla parliamentary seat. Earlier, Shah Faesal, said that he took the step to protest against the ‘unabated killings and lack of political outreach from New Delhi.’ Faesal, when asked that the ‘deep state might use him’, he replied that ‘he might end up using them.’
In a Facebook post, Faesal said, “To protest against the unabated killings in Kashmir, and lack of any sincere reach-out from the Union Government; the marginalization and invisiblization 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 hypernationalism, I have decided to resign from Indian Administrative Service.”
Faesal said he wished to remind the regime of the day that subversion of public institutions like RBI, CBI and NIA has the potential to decimate the Constitutional edifice of this Country and it needs to be stopped.
“I wish to reiterate that voices of reason in this country cannot be muzzled for long and the environment of siege will need to end if we wish to usher in true democracy,” he said his Facebook post.
Meanwhile, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah welcomed him into the political fold.
On Thursday, Engineer Rashid offered him to join his party and said that he is ready to work with all those who speak about the sentiments and sacrifices of Kashmiris. (PTK)
