I am a man from system, can never be out of communication with it: Shah Faesal

Arun Joshi
Jammu, August 12

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Shah Faesal is a multifaceted personality. He became a household name in Kashmir ever since he topped the civil services examinations in 2010. In 2019, he resigned to float his own political party–Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement. As Faesal has now quit the party, he has left everything to the government and his hopes rest on the fact that the no decision has been taken on his resignation yet.

Faesal is candid enough to admit that he “landed in unfamiliar territory” after his detention last year when the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked. He told The Tribune in an interview late Tuesday night that he has promised himself to start afresh.

Also read: My ‘innocuous dissent’ was seen as act of ‘treason’: Shah Faesal on quitting politics

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. Where exactly have you landed?

A. Out of detention, I feel like (French novelist Albert) Camus’ Stranger. A man in unfamiliar territory.

Also read: Shah Faesal booked under stringent PSA

Q. How will you describe your life now after all trials and tribulations?

A. It has been hard but still an unbelievably meaningful journey. I got to learn so much. My resignation created more problems than it solved.

I had never imagined that an act of dissent would be seen as an act of sedition. It erased the immense goodwill that I had across India after topping CSE.

Q. What is your plan going forward?

A. As of now, I am done with a phase of my life. What’s past is past and I am looking forward to starting afresh.

I have no idea where will I land but I think I would continue to work in the development sector.

Also read: Shah Faesal’s resignation not yet accepted by govt

Q. Are you in communication with the Government?

A. I’m a man from the system and I can never be out of communication with the system. But as of now, I am not sure what’s in the government’s mind.

Q. Is any Government representative in touch with you?

A. Not as such.

Q. Do you see any political role for yourself in the government?

A. I don’t think I can take up any political role at this juncture. I want to move on.

Q. What do you say about the charges of violating service rules?

A. All I have done is made some statements and I do regret some of these.

Political discourse is such that many times we forget the line between what is necessary and what is absurd.

But then I was a newcomer and we learn with time.

Q. How much money was collected through crowdfunding?

A. We collected six lakh, one hundred rupees in the crowdfunding account. Can you imagine it was just six lacs? People spread rumours that we collected crores.

That is a public account in Kanispora branch and anyone can check the balance etc.

We spent the entire money on helping pellet victims, terminally ill patients and poor needy people and the details are being shared.