In a surprising move, first Kashmiri IAS topper, Shah Faesal, has resigned today, protesting the “unabated” killings in Kashmir and the marginalisation of Indian Muslims. He had topped the Civil Service exam in 2009. The 35-year-old officer said his resignation was to protest “the marginalisation and invisiblisation 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 state and growing culture of intolerance and hate in mainland India in the name of hyper-nationalism”.
Faesal, who had recently returned from Harvard University, after a foreign training and was awaiting posting, said that “subversion of public institutions like the RBI, the CBI and the NIA has the potential to decimate the constitutional edifice of this country and it needs to be stopped”. He also said that he would be addressing media on Friday to announce his next move. He is likely to join the National Conference and might also contest the Lok Sabha elections.
Faesal’s resignation has come six months after the Jammu and Kashmir government initiated disciplinary action against him for a tweet on frequent rapes which was seen by the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training as his failure to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in discharge of duties.
Faesal’s resignation will now be forwarded by the state chief secretary along with vigilance status of the officer. The resignation will be considered by the Department of Personnel and Training.