Kashmir's youth icon Shah Faesal who topped the 2009 Indian Civil Services examination has threatened to resign if the television channels continued to juxtapose his picture with the slain militant commander Burhan Wani in order to draw comparisons. The young civil officer has condemned the recent killings and use of force against civilians, especially the use of pellet guns.
"By juxtaposing my photos with the images of a slain militant commander, a section of national media has once again fallen back upon its conventional savagery that cashes on falsehoods, divides people and creates more hatred," Faesal wrote on his Facebook wall.
“At a moment when Kashmir is mourning its dead, the propaganda and provocation being dished out from red and blue newsrooms is breeding more alienation and anger in Kashmir than what Indian State can manage,” he wrote.
“Personal vulnerability apart, the very fact of becoming a part of a ridiculous debate is something which has disturbed me very much. Have I joined IAS to do a job or to become a part of your sadistic propaganda machineIJ In fact when I qualified this exam I never thought of spending my whole life scratching the desk and if this nonsense around me continues, I might prefer to resign sooner than later,” he said.
I am adding to what my younger colleague Yasin Chaudhary had said earlier in his Facebook post. ZeeNews, Aaj Tak, TimesNow and NewsX are not going to tell you the truth about Kashmir. Please mind your head.
And then, when a State kills and maims it's own citizens, it's self-injury and self-decimation of the worst sort. No Government can distance itself from the pain of it's people and all out efforts are being made to contain this crisis and reach out to youth. It is going to take time, Faesal wrote.
Till then we have to steer safe from spoilers who want to set Kashmir valley on fire just for the sake of TRP.
"let's pray for those who lost their lives and their eyesight in the ongoing turmoil in Kashmir and stand by one another in this moment of truth. I didn't have net access all this while and today once I saw my timeline, I realised it was the time to speak up. Inalillahi wa Ina-ilaihi rajioon, he wrote.
