India fires Kashmir employees threatening “national security”-International News Conflict News

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Srinagar, Kashmir managed by India – On May 1, the world marked the International Labor Day, Idrees Jan was summoned to the magistrate’s office in the Kupwara district of Kashmir under the management of India and handed an envelope.

The order in the envelope shocked the 39-year-old-he was fired by a teacher at a public school.

After the government implemented a series of new laws aimed at curbing “anti-India” sentiment, Jan was the first of three Kashmir employees fired by the controversial district chief this month, who was personally selected by New Delhi .

Two days after Jan was fired, two others were also fired. They were Dr. Abdul Bari, Assistant Professor of Geography from the Kurgan region, and Nazir Ahmad Wani, a tax officer from Pulwama. Both of them have been in jail.

Their dismissal was part of the dissent initiated by the Indian nationalist federal government to suppress India. In 2019, India abolished the special status of the country’s only Muslim-majority area and turned it into a federally governed territory.

Police board a car at a checkpoint in Sopore, Baramulla District, Kashmir, managed by India [Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images]

Jan’s dismissal order stated that this was done “for national security” and “it is inconvenient to investigate this.”

Young told Al Jazeera: “I surrendered an envelope in the presence of the police and was told to open it.” He added that the soldiers had blocked his house on the day of disbandment.

“I should have the opportunity to express my views. There is no inquiry, no time for me,” Young said.

“How can I be a threat?”

During a large-scale civilian uprising in India-controlled Kashmir in 2016 against the killing of a young rebel commander, Burhan Wani, Jan was arrested for throwing stones at security forces, and under the strict Public Security Act (PSA) To register, the law authorizes detention without trial for up to one year.

He said that four months later, the local court cancelled his PSA and he was released.

“After that happened, I have been working normally. I have been teaching my students,” he said. “I am a little teacher, how can I threaten a big country?”

Jan, who has twin daughters and sons, has been serving in the military for the past 15 years. “I am respected in society because I provide training for students. Some of them are doctors and engineers, and most of them have good positions. I can only teach, and I don’t know what to do now.”

He said his family was shocked, “as if everything was taken away by us.”

“This is unfair and harsh to me. He said: “An inquiry should be made and I should be suspended until any facts prove to be unfavorable to me. “

“I don’t know how to feed my family in the pandemic. Today, this happened to me. Tomorrow it can be done in thousands of other cities in Kashmir.”

“Harsh nature”

Last month, the regional government ordered the formation of a special task force to review the cases of employees “suspected of engaging in activities” that require action under Article 311-a legal provision involving “dismissal, dismissal or demotion” The rank of the employed person” conducts investigations into the civil actions of the Union or a country.

After imposing curfew measures to prevent coronavirus, police officers patrolled a street in Sopore, Baramura District, Kashmir, managed by India [Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images]

Although the law provides a “reasonable opportunity to hear these allegations” for suspected employees, one of the parts of the law invoked by the government bypasses the search conditions. If “the president or the governor…satisfies the following conditions”, it is not appropriate for national security Conduct this investigation. “

An official who did not want to be named told Al Jazeera that under the condition of anonymity, despite the provisions of misdemeanor and severe punishment, the case recommended by the task force was “serious in nature.”

“Some people are trying to bring damage to society. Therefore, these people are identified by strong evidence. The official said that after obtaining sufficient evidence, they recommended that their case be terminated. [is] Proof of serious misconduct against them”.

“Over the years, more officials will be fired for their actions. This is information for government employees. Although they are members of government agencies, they are still engaged in activities that harm national security.” The official said.

“He is becoming a target”

The family of geography professor Bari (Bari) knew nothing in their home in southern Kulgam, southern Kashmir. His brother Rouf Naik, who is also a lawyer, was arrested in a case dating back to 2018 two months ago, he told Al Jazeera.

Naik said that before that, his brother usually performed his duties in the university.

“He has been working normally until July 30 last year in his hometown area. Then he was transferred to Udhampur in Cha Jam, and we think this is a punishment for running away from home,” he told Al Jazeera.

On March 7, the police raided and arrested him, and Bari was giving a lecture to his students.

Barry’s family said he was a social activist and would oppose government corruption, which they claimed might be the reason for terminating his work.

“Once he spoke out about the illegal occupation of land near his hometown by the army, he had four cases against him, but he has not yet proven himself guilty.” Naik said: “His goal is only for his activism and raising his voice. . “

“His wife and a two-year-old baby were traumatized by losing their job and are being attacked like this.”

During Baramulla (Baramulla) COVID-19 lockdown, paramilitary personnel at temporary checkpoints [Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images]

Income officer Wani’s wife and three children were abruptly fired nearly 30 kilometers (19 miles) away, and were equally disturbed.

Wani was arrested for “providing logistical support to militants” after the police raided a shop he owned and claimed that they had disrupted a rebel hiding place in his home and recovered some Weapon-The family rejected the charges.

“My father has always represented this country. He is honest and used to do his work honestly. Vani’s 18-year-old son told Al Jazeera that the whole village has witnessed this fact and he has become a target. “This is injustice. of. “

Religious prejudice

Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, a spokesperson for the local lawyers organization Chamu and the Kashmir Bar Association, called the dismissal “illegal and unconstitutional.”

Shaheen said that although the law allows the government to dismiss employees under Article 311 without investigation, this is only done when public investigations may threaten national security.

“But here they say that (these) people have heard the case in court and the allegations are already in the public domain. The material is already in the public domain. Therefore, it is illegal and unconstitutional.” He told Al Jazeera that the dismissal was “Politically motivated.”

Shaheen told Al Jazeera: “Allegations that are already in the public domain will not pose a threat to security.”

In a statement, Rafique Rather, chairman of the Regional Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), called the termination of the three government employees “absolutely unjust.”

“It is against the spirit of the law to terminate the services of government employees without giving them the opportunity to hear opinions. The statement said that this move made the entire fraternity of employees shudder, and they have felt stressed and overburdened when working under extremely harsh working conditions. .

Pro-Indian politicians in the region also condemned the dismissal, and Farooq Abdullah, chairman of the National People’s Congress, said the move would “further push people toward alienation.”

Mehbooba Mufti, the former chief minister of the region, called the grounds for the dismissal “fragile”.

“During the pandemic, (the Indian government) should focus on saving lives, not firing government employees.”



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