news details |
|
|
| Govt holidaying; Renzu breaches conduct rules, leads religious processions, addresses gatherings in Valley | | Andher Nagri chaupat Raj! | |  Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 28: With Jammu and Kashmir government seemingly in a holiday mood, a politically well-connected bureaucrat has turned religious zealot overnight; leading processions, addressing huge religious gatherings of a particular sect and sharing details of his new found adventure on social networking websites on hourly basis.
Assigned with job of developing Srinagar into an international tourist destination, Vice-Chairman of Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) Farooq Renzu Shah is seemingly the lone bureaucrat who instead of looking after the developmental issues of Srinagar has assigned himself the astonishing job of reviving Sufism across Kashmir valley. State government, of which he is part, has preferred silence over Renzu's extraordinary new found love for religious activism.
None has time to look into what the administrative set-up is doing. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is busy reviving National Conference through his two close friends, of whom one was until afternoon of January 15 his Political Advisor and the other Home Minister. Chief Secretary Madhav Lal is busy packing his luggage to take up another assignment as Secretary to Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises at New Delhi.
Commissioner/Secretary GAD Sheikh Mushtaq has been playing safe since day one and allowing all kinds of wrongs to continue. Sources said that J&K holidaying mood can be gauged from the fact that no one has time to look into what is being termed as breach of conduct rules especially by an officer who has been enjoying prize postings one after the other since the last four years.
It needs to be reiterated here that J&K government made a test case of Arun Kumar, who addressed a press conference whose content was later described as 'Communal' and subsequently, he was attached to General Administration Department (GAD).
However, in Renzu case, government has preferred silence. In fact, there is also a talk of Renzu being made Director General (DG) Information. His influence over the administrative decisions can be known from the fact that after a long stint as Deputy Director, Renzu functioned as Director of Information for three curtailed tenures since 2005. In 2007, then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad posted him as Deputy Commissioner of Budgam.
In the thick of 2008 street agitation in Valley, Renzu was brought back to Information. In April 2010, when he also held the charge of Director Local Bodies Kashmir, he was divested of both the portfolios but he quickly managed to get back one---Local Bodies. However, in August 2010, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah got him back as full-time Director of Information. In May 2012, Renzu was attached with GAD but he managed his posting as VC Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) within 7 days
If regular status updates as well as photo uploads on Renzu's social networking website account 'http://www.facebook.com/farooq.renzushah?ref=ts&fref=ts' are any indication, he is not only leading religious processions but delivering speeches and coordinating activities of a particular Islamic sect. On Saturday, his status update mentioned him leading a religious procession from Harwan to Nishat in Srinagar city.
Attributed to a little known news gathering agency, only Kashmir, a photograph was appended alongwith to substantiate claim of Renzu. He can be seen waving a religious flag of a particular religious organization. In the same social networking page, Renzu has uploaded photographs with claims of him having delivered sermons at various Muslims shrines across Kashmir valley. He has made vehement claims of propagation the message of saints and seers of Kashmir valley.
However, Kashmir leaders have repeatedly alleged said that revival of Sufi Islam is essentially propagation of sectarianism in Kashmir valley since its proponents are essentially scholars of one particular school of thought and have already issued 'Fatwas' against other religious schools. Putting to rest the sectarian debate, sources maintain that a government officer cannot indulge in political or religious activism. They added that service conduct rules strictly disallow an officer from participating in any kind of religious activity aimed at promoting sectarian or communal discord.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
