‘The resignation has been more like a statement. Like an alarm bell that “Look, something is wrong”.’
‘I am saying that “Look, I rang the bell, but I am also going to provide solutions”.’
Shah Faesal, the first Kashmiri to top the civil services, resigned after serving the Union government for nine years, to enter politics last week.
Faesal, who trained as a doctor, returned to India after a fellowship at Harvard University’s Kennedy School last month.
In a telephone interview from Srinagar with Rediff.com’s Archana Masih, Dr Faesal speaks about the urgent need to fill the political vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir, how the problem of stone pelters can be dealt with — and why even though he worries for his life sometimes, he is not cynical, sceptical or pessimistic about Kashmir.
You haven’t said whether you will join any particular party or form a new party — I am sure political overtures have been made to you. What are your immediate plans?
Honestly speaking, it would have been very easy for me to join any existing political party. It was somehow in my mind to do that because it would be very easy for me to win an election, but the outpouring that the people of Kashmir, especially the youth, have shown has completely surprised me.
I have been meeting youngsters in the past few days and at least there is one consensus that I should not be joining any existing political party.
This entire energy which has been released, my difficulty is how to direct it.
People are saying we should start a new party, some are saying we should go independent, I think we need to go more into the field, listen to more people before I can reach a conclusion.
Courtesy: Rediff.com
