Faesal launches party, talks of revolution
SRINAGAR : Shah Faesal, the 2010 IAS topper from Jammu and Kashmir who resigned from bureaucracy in January, launched his political party — J&K Peoples’ Movement — in Srinagar on Sunday.
Scores of Faesal’s supporters from across the Valley attended the launch of the J&KPM, whose slogan is “hawa badlegi” (winds will change), at the Gindun Park in uptown Raj Bagh area, which was festooned with banners and white flags.
Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Shehla Rashid and some other prominent persons also joined the new party. Addressing the gathering mostly comprising youth, Faesal, 35, said, “I joined the civil services 10 years back. Over the years, I realised that my diagnosis as a doctor was wrong.
“I believed that by providing roads, electricity and safe drinking water, we could change the lives of the people. But I have understood that as long as the youth in Kashmir live in a state of constant fear, as long as our mothers and sisters face the prospect of losing their dignity and dear ones, nothing will work here. “It is natural for many to discredit a new idea and understate a revolution, when they see one in the making. Some say we are agents of the army. I am ready to face all criticism, but our pursuit to usher in a new tomorrow will continue undeterred.”
The former bureaucrat said Kashmiri politicians were living in a state of mental siege and slavery. “This all pervading mentality of siege has to go,” he asserted.
During his speech he insisted that his party was not of particular religion or region and made mention of Dogras of Jammu, Buddhists of Ladakh, Pandits, and Muslims.
He talked about the youth in distress and their representation. “Pellets or bullets hit youth here who die... Despite studying in universities and having PhDs, they are in distress, they are giving their lives and similarly a CRPF man or a soldier, who come from faraway places, also sacrifice at their own level. This war which is going, it is necessary to stop this war,” he said. Faesal had resigned in January this year to protest “unabated killings in Kashmir and absence of credible political initiative from the Centre”. He also said his party will pursue peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem as per the will and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and with “dignity and respect”.
The objectives of JKPM are “to work for an inclusive and pluralistic society with adequate political representation for underprivileged communities.”
“Kashmir is an issue between two countries. We won’t claim that we will do magic and solve it. It is a long road. We can only facilitate. We can emerge as a voice between two countries. And we can reduce the space between Srinagar and New Delhi,” he said.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, Rashid said the JKPM was a movement for peace and development in the state.
“This is not a party, but a movement for peace and development and a movement for our dignity and unity,” said the engineer-turned-activist, who is currently pursuing her PhD from the JNU. She shot to fame as a prominent face of the student activism following a controversy over an event at the varsity during which alleged anti-national slogans were raised.