DOST KHAN
JAMMU: The killing of Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s point-man and close aide in Sopore has raised a very pertinent question about the presence of moles and anti-national elements in the Jammu and Kashmir administration. The assassinated aide, Sheikh Altaf, a Medical Assistant in the State Health Department, is reported to have been a member of the ‘Shoora’ or Executive Committee of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, led and founded by Geelani. He has also been actively associated with Jamat-e-Islami. Reportedly, he had been arrested, detained and released over a dozen times in the past 20 years. He has also been detained under Public Safety Act as many as four times. With all these negatives, how come he continued to be in service in accordance with the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules?
The case of Sheikh Altaf should not be viewed in isolation. This is just one of the many many cases that have plagued the administration at various levels during the past twenty five years. There have been instances wherein salaries used to be released of such employees, who were neck-deep involved in terror activities; some of them even having gone across the border to receive arms training for waging war against India.
More than the employees engaged in anti-national activities, onus of explaining the conduct lies on the officers under whose superintendence they have been working. In the instant case of Sheikh Altaf, the Health Department owes answers as to what action had been taken against him for openly promoting and propagating sedition by being a top Hurriyat activist. Is it to suggest that there has been deep nexus within the administration and the political executive to shield anti-national elements?
For the past several days, north Kashmir has been boiling over the killing of Sheikh Altaf. Geelani openly owned him up and called for shut down to protest against the killers, who are ironically the people who have been sustaining support from separatist organisations. He went to the extent of blaming Indian secret service agents for eliminating his key man without any substance or evidence. Immediate cognizance should have been taken against Geelani’s provocative and inflammatory statements but who will move the rug under his feet? Not the present dispensation at least, which owes gratitude to separatists, terrorists and Pakistan for facilitating smooth elections. The PDP-BJP Government will not also roll heads for having shielded the elements like Sheikh Altaf, who, despite being on the pay rolls of the Health Department, had been working for destabilizing Kashmir and threatening the sovereignty of the nation. This government, or its predecessors, cares two hoots to honour its own rules when it comes to tackling elements inimical to peace and the national interest.
As per Rule 14 Sub-Rule 1 of the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, no Government employee shall take part in politics or anti-secular and communal activities, or subscribe in aid of any political party or any organisation engaged in anti- secular or communal activities or assist in any way any political movement in the State or in any other part of India or relating to the affairs of the Union or the State. In the instant case, the deceased had been engaged in seceding a part of India from the nation. It should be understood that the expression, “Political movement” includes any movement or activity tending directly or indirectly to excite dissatisfaction against or to embarrass, the Government of India or the State Government as by law established, or to promote feelings of hatred or enmity between different classes or the residents of the State or other Indian Citizens, or to disturb the public peace.
Sub Rule 2 of the Rule 14 of the CSR says that no Government employee shall permit any person dependent on him for maintenance or under his care or control to take part in, or in any way assist, any movement or activity which is, or tends directly or indirectly to be subversive of Government as by law established in India or in the State. This should be read with the government instructions which emphatically say that the reports under rule 14(2) should be submitted by a Government employee to his immediate superior who will forward them through the normal channels to the authority competent to remove, or dismiss him, from service. Except where such authority requires guidance or clarification from a higher authority, it shall consider the report and pass appropriate orders. If it is proposed to impose any penalty, the procedure prescribed in the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules should be followed.
Did anybody report or is anybody going to ask those who were supposed to report why they failed in doing so? There needs to be some sort of accountability, as there are many moles in the administration.
