 Sandeep Bhat
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 17: On the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 75th birthday, Shah Faesal, a prominent IAS officer and the first Kashmiri to top the civil services examination in 2010, expressed gratitude for a second chance in his career, attributing it to the Prime Minister's vision and compassion.
In a heartfelt post on X, Faesal reflected on a challenging phase in his life. "There was a time when I found myself at rock bottom, both professionally and personally. My qualifications remained on paper, but the world had moved on. Friends were gone, recognition faded, and the future seemed bleak," he wrote. Doubting whether his identity as a Kashmiri Muslim would hinder his return to public service, Faesal said he was surprised by the opportunity that came his way. "A true visionary saw value in my humble beginnings and the struggles that shaped me.
He understood the intent behind my journey and offered forgiveness, restoring my dignity with a quiet gesture," Faesal said, without directly naming Modi but tagging him and the Prime Minister's Office in his post. "Some day I will share the full story, but for now, this is enough. Happy birthday to the leader who transformed a billion lives."
Faesal's journey has been marked by significant milestones and challenges. A doctor-turned-bureaucrat, he joined the Jammu and Kashmir cadre before its integration into the AGMUT cadre after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. That same year, Faesal resigned from the IAS to protest what he called "unabated killings" in Kashmir and the "marginalization of Indian Muslims." He founded the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM) two months later but withdrew from politics in August 2020.
In February 2020, Faesal faced detention under the Public Safety Act for critical posts against the central government, including one advocating for a "sustained, non-violent political mass movement" to restore political rights in Kashmir. The post was later removed, and after nearly a year in detention, Faesal returned to public life. In April 2022, he was reinstated into the IAS and appointed deputy secretary in the Ministry of Tourism in August of that year. At the time, he shared his excitement on social media, stating he was "ready to start all over again." |
