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| Kundal has jumped from AC power to DC power circuit | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | June 2
There is no need for raising eyeborws over the decision of B.R.Kundal,who has resigned as chief secretary,to join politics because in the political and administrative scenario in Jammu and Kashmir,which also can boast of commited bureaucracy,there have been number of instances where topmost bureaucrats have not only joined politics but also have contested unsuccessfully Assembly elections at one time or the other.
People have not forgotten Sheikh Ghulam Rasool,who after his retirement as Chief secretary,joined the National Conference.He continues to be an active member of the National Conference even though true to their political culture Abdullahs have not accorded to him as much importance in the organisation as Sheikh Ghulam Rasool deserved.Vijay Bakaya,after his retirement as Chief secretary,first was seen in the PDP camp.However,when there were some misgivings between him and the Muftis he joined the National Conference.And during the last one year he seems to be preparing for getting National Conference mandate for contesting the ensuing Assembly election from Habba Kadal Constituency.It is something different if the National Conference leadership,as is its political cutlure,decides to drop him.But he can be called a politician as he has been visiting the Kashmiri migrant camps in Jammu and elsewhere for securing support of the voters who belong to Habba Kadal constituency.
Years earlier Hamidullah Khan who had been elevated to the rank of Chief secretary' and later having functioned as adviser to Governor also dived in the political stream by contesting elections unsuccessfully on two occasions.Another officer of the IAS cadre,Swami Raj Sharma,too was bitten by the bug of politics when he too contested Assembly election unsuccessfully after his retirement.A former Director General Police,M.M.Khajuria,too was tempted by political ambition but failed to go far.Ghulam Qadir Pardesi who had functioned as Deputy commissioner and later headed a number of Departments,was wooed by the PDP,after retirement and now he is with the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Party,headed by a PDP rebel Ghulam Hassan Mir.The list is long when one counts the names of bureaucrats,police officers,academicians,doctors and engineers who,either after retirement or before waiting for superannuation,joined political parties of one hue or the other.
Among the academicians Prof. Virendra Gupta,Dr Nirmal Singh and Prof. Hari Om set a new example.These academicians functioned as leaders of a number of political organisations even while serving in the Jammu university.
Judged by this long list one cannot blame B.R.Kundal either for being an opportunist or for being commited to the ideology of the Congress which he has joined after quitting the plum post of Chief Secretary about 9 months before his retirement was due.Yes,he will be the luckiest among those bureaucrats who had joined politics in case he was inducte in the cabinet.While others continued to struggle for finding strong roots Kundal straightway was likely to find a place in the cabinet.Sources close to Kumdal said that he was not very keen to join politics.He was egged to do so and join the Congress by none other than Chief Minister,Ghulam Nabi Azad.It was persistent motivation from Azad that Kundal was tempted to join the Congress when he was assured a berth in the cabinet. What else could have Kundal dreamt of ?Azad wanted to strengthen the SC vote bank for the Congress and in this case he had found Kundal as the most suitable person.His influence among the SCs had been demonstrated when he received ovation from the weaker sections of people soon after being elevated to the rank of Chief Secretary.He has plans to contest the next election either from R.S.Pora,or from Samba or from Vijaypur which are reserved constituencies.If he wins his future is safe.If he loses he will be lost for ever in the ocean of politics.
When asked why he quit his job to join the Congress he stated that it was social commitment.He wanted to serve people and that was possible only by joining politics and by getting inducted in the cabinet.One wonders whether service to people can be done only as a politician.He could have served people as Chief Secretary and later as a social activist.He has the means for setting up a home for destitutes,poor and the needy.He seems to have opted for an easy route.Whether he is able to fulfill his social commitment or not future events alone can determine. |
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