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| 'Illegal' search committee ignored professionals over personal friends | | Appointment of Secretary JKAACL | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 20: Illegally constituted search committee for finding Secretary for Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) has seemingly given precedence to personal relationships over professional capability.
Headed by Prof. Rehman Rahi of Kashmir University, the committee which included Prof. Nilambhar Dev Sharma alongwith Commissioner/Secretary Tourism Shailender Kumar and Secretary GAD Mohammad Asharaf Bukhari zeroed in five government officials of the Central as well as state governments both retired and serving. These included ex-Director Radio Kashmir Basheer Arif, ex-History Professor of Kashmir University (KU) Farooq Fayaz, Assistant Professor in Kashmir University Aziz Hajini, low-profile and little known TV Producer Ayash Arif and IFS officer O.P. Vidhyarthi.
Rahi, according to sources had kept Basheer Arif at number 1 in the list of individuals recommended for appointment as Secretary to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Basheer retired as Director of Radio Kashmir and if the newspaper reports are to be believed, he is yet to be absolved of various serious allegations levelled against him. Those associated with Art and Culture maintain that there is nothing on record which would give any indication of Basheer Arif having done anything major in the field of Art, Culture and Languages.
Yet he was chosen and included among the shortlisted names by his academician friend Prof. Rahman Rahi, who was heading the committee. The second name in the list was of Prof. Farooq Fayaz. He retired from Kashmir University from the department of history. He too has nothing in his CV to show as work done for promotion of Art, Culture and Languages in the state. He is from Social Sciences background and has spent most of the time teaching students in Kashmir University.
Rahi kept him at no. 2 without assigning ay specific reasons. After Fayaz, Rahi headed committee choose to keep Assistant Prof. Aziz Hajini at number 3. He too has made little contribution for the promotion of Art, Culture and Languages in the state. Besides, there are 42 people senior to him in grade and position in the JKAACL as well as in Kashmir University. Though Hajini is well-known the literary and academic circles but the same does not qualify him to be appointed as Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL), say the academicians.
Once a drama artist and now, a little known film producer; Ayash Arif's name had been kept at no. 4 by the Rahi headed committee. The committee head could not find one experienced and well-known individual from among those who had applied for the post of Secretary JKAACL and chose to recommend name of Ayash Arif. The last name which the committee gave for the post of Secretary was that of IFS officer O.P. Vidhyarthi. An IFS officer, Vidhyarthi too is a misfit for selection since he too has not done much for the academy.
Yet Rehman Rahi chose to select these five officials and neglect those having qualification and talent to make it to the prestigious position of the Secretary. According to sources, he did not even have a look at the CVs of candidates who had applied from JKAACL. They added that Rahi preferred to give his friends first preference. After the committee handed over the report to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's office on May 12, 2014; Prof. N.D. Sharma appended his dissent note with it.
Sources said that Sharma had expressed reservations over the selection of candidates and stated that first preference should have been given to the candidates belonging to the Academy and care should have been taken while selecting candidates from outside the academy. He had said that only the one who had served in JKAACL knows well how it functions and should be first to be considered for the top job by the government. |
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