On Monday, Shah Faesal decided to end his career in politics as he stepped down from the post of JKPM’s President, a party he founded on March 21, 2019.
He dropped JKPM President from his Twitter bio which now reads, “Edward S Fellow @HKS Harvard University. Medico. Fulbright, Centrist.”
He also deleted all his tweets, of over last 18-months, many of which were critical of the government.
“Shah Faesal had informed the State Executive members that he wants to get freed from the responsibilities of the organisation as he is not able to continue his political activities”, an official release of JKPM said.
“It was decided to accept his request, so that he can continue with his life and contribute whichever way he chooses”, the release further said.
Over a year-and-a-half, after he resigned from government service to join politics, Shah Faesal, the first Kashmiri to top the Civil Services Examination in 2009, quit politics as well.
“I want to move on and do something productive in life,” said Faesal, in an exclusive talk with TOI on Monday.
Quoting a Play ‘The Winter’s Tale’ by Shakespeare, Faisal writes: “What’s gone and what’s past help, should be past grief”, pointing that he has negotiated with the political realities of Kashmir.
Faesal was the topper of IAS 2009 batch, who decided to resign from the prestigious service in January last year citing instances of “unabated killings” and “marginalisation of Indian Muslims”. He alluded to joining politics and soon founded his own political party, saying it would be a platform for young people and would welcome political leaders with an unblemished record.
“What made a man deeply passionate about bringing effective change to the people of J&K through politics change his mind so abruptly?” questions Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija from her mother’s twitter handle.
Kashmir is abuzz about Shah Faesal resigning as President JKPM, a party he founded in Feb, 2019. What made a man deeply passionate about bringing effective change to people of J&K through politics change his mind so abruptly?
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 10, 2020
Faesal has been the most vocal critic of the Centre’s move on the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and was also taken into custody with other politicians.
Faesal was detained on the intervening night of August 14-15, 2019, and sent back to Srinagar where he was placed under detention and later makeshift to the detention centre at the Centaur Hotel in Srinagar. In February, he was booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) and released only last month.
According to Iltija, GOI has pressurised (overtly & covertly) political parties & leaders who refused to accept scrapping of Article 370. She alleged that the government is facilitating only those who toe its line.
“We tried our level best for over a month to convince Faesal to continue as president but failed,” Feroze told ET, adding that Faesal may either rejoin the IAS or go abroad for further studies.
Also, there are speculations about him to rejoin his service as his resignation letter had not been accepted, even after 19-months. As it is said that he is under pressure from some quarters to rejoin the government, but as of now, no final decision has been made.
With Faesal’s departure, the JKPM has disintegrated within 18 months of its launch. In October last year, one of the senior leaders of the political organisation Shehla Rashid Shora had announced quitting politics, and on Monday its chairman and former minister Javed Mustafa Mir also resigned from the party following the party president.
After a unanimous decision, the vice-president of JKPM Feroze Peerzada, is to be nominated as interim president of the party till further election is held for the post.
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