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Those who said I’m a prop are now crying because I’m quitting politics, says Shah Faesal

IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal quit the party he founded last year, JKPM, and says he’s is open to returning to work for the government.

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Srinagar: Days after he quit the political party he founded, the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement, IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal said Tuesday that he was not averse to working for the government.

Faesal was speaking to ThePrint over WhatsApp messages, and made the comment in response to a question about whether he plans to rejoin the Indian Administrative Services, adding that it was too early to talk about his future.

“I have always maintained that I want to work within the system. I am not averse to working for the government,” Faesal said.


Also read: Shah Faesal will either rejoin IAS or go to US to study, says new chief of his JKPM party


Resignation from IAS

Faesal had announced his decision to resign from the IAS in a Facebook post in January 2019, writing that he was quitting to protest against “unabated killings” in Kashmir and the “marginalisation of Indian Muslims”. However, his resignation has not been accepted so far, a senior government official told ThePrint.

The 2009 UPSC exam topper then formed the JKPM, and later entered into an alliance with the Awami Ittehad Party, headed by Sheikh Abdul Rashid, better known as ‘Engineer Rashid’, who is currently in New Delhi’s Tihar jail on charges of financing the militancy in Kashmir.

Asked if he regretted joining politics, Faesal said his resignation from the IAS had created more problems than it solved.

“I have not thought about (regretting joining politics) yet. But yes, I do realise that my resignation created more problems than it solved. My exit was seen as an act of treason, not an act of dissent. That, I had never imagined,” he said.

He added that the IAS was an amazing platform to bring change, and that when he looks back at his past, he misses the opportunity the civil services provided.

Lessons from short political innings

Faesal’s fledgling profile as a politician grew manifold last August when he was among the Kashmiri politicians detained after the special status of J&K under Article 370 of the Constitution was scrapped.

But even before that, the JKPM had gained quite a bit of traction in the media space, with many who see Faesal as an icon joining it.

Asked if his decision to quit politics now could be seen as a betrayal by his followers and supporters, Faesal said: “The party is still there. It is an institution, and those who want to work there can continue. I have not betrayed anyone. Yesterday, those who said I’m a prop of intelligence agencies are crying today that I am quitting politics and betraying them. Those who were abusing me when I was in jail have suddenly found their love for me. I find it interesting.”

Asked about the lessons politics had taught him, especially during his almost year-long detention, during which time he was also charged under the stringent Public Safety Act, Faesal said: “The most important lesson is that in public life, we should be honest with people.

“If we truly believe in bringing change, then we should realise the constraints and share them with people beforehand. Raising false expectations can help in the short term, but in the long term, only truth can give you comfort.”

‘Separatist or stooge’

Faesal said one of his main reasons he has now quit politics is that he was not able to articulate his views frankly.

“The entire political dynamics of Kashmir changed post-5 August. I want to articulate my understanding of issues without being forced to be politically correct. Kashmiris deserve to hear the truth,” Faesal said.

One of his last tweets before his detention in August 2019 said one could only be a “separatist or a stooge” in Kashmir, in the context of the scrapping of Article 370, and repeated the words in an interview to the BBC.

“In the same interview, I said I’m neither a stooge nor a separatist. I’m a proud citizen of this country who has been a stakeholder in its future. All my actions are my own and I take full responsibility for them,” Faesal said.

Speaking about his detention, Faesal said: “There were extraordinary circumstances. Detention was a life-changing experienced. It taught me the meaning of life. It made me realise that at the end of the day, it’s just your family and well-wishers who will stand by you in a moment of crisis. It made me realise that I should value every moment of my life and try to live it truthfully and productively.”


Also read: What made Shah Faesal change his mind so abruptly, asks Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter 


 

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3 COMMENTS

  1. This guy must NEVER be allowed to return to IAS. Let him loaf around whereever he wants. His mind is both confused and criminal. Who selected him for the IAS?

  2. This so called intellectual jihadi, serial separatist and secessionist should not be allowed in the IAS.

    People like him will use the administrative power to weaponize their agenda and cause great harm to nation.

    Let him go abroad.

    The less jihadi we have the sooner we can restore the land of kashyap rishi.

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