J&K Employees union protests dismissal of three employees

One of the three dismissed employees, Nazir Ahmad Wani was accused of giving shelter to terrorists after an underground hideout was busted at his shop in Pulwama last year.

Following the dismissal of three employees from the service of Jammu and Kashmir government for activities tantamount to posing a threat to the country’s security or anti-national activities has led to protests from the employees union in the union territory.

Separate orders issued by the general administration department of the UT had dismissed Idrees Jan, a teacher of Government Middle School in Kupwara, Nazir Ahmad Wani, Naib Tehsildar of Pulwama and Bari Naik, an assistant professor of Geography at Government Degree College (Women) Udhampur.

The orders said that the lieutenant governor, Manoj Sinha, had considered the facts and circumstances of the cases to conclude that the activities these individuals warranted dismissal from service.

Wani was accused of giving shelter to terrorists after an underground hideout was busted at his shop in Pulwama last year. “During the search in the area, the joint team busted a hideout in a shop belonging to one person identified as Nazir Ahmad Wani, son of Abdul Ahad Wani, a resident of Bellow Dhargund. The joint team were able to recover incriminating materials including huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the hideout,” a spokesman of Jammu and Kashmir police had said at that time. It was also revealed that Nazir was involved in providing logistic support to the terrorists. However, his family alleged he was framed by the police.

Similarly, assistant professor Bari was arrested in a terrorism-related case and booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) in March this year. Specific details of Idrees Jan’s misconduct have not been revealed yet.

The dismissals come following identification and scrutiny of government employees believed to be involved in anti-national activities and or in cases posing a threat to the country’s security. The LG had set up a special task force for this purpose.

Now, the JK Employees Joint Action Committee is protesting their termination and demanding that the reasons for termination are made public and the employees are given a chance to explain their position. “Termination of employees without giving them a chance to be heard is against the spirit of law and the constitution of the country. This move has spread panic among the employees who are not only stressed but also over burdened,” said Mohammad Rafique Rather, president, JK Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC)

He also alleged that the decision was taken in haste. “The dismissed employees should be allowed to put up their defence.” He also requested LG Manoj Sinha’s intervention in the matter.

On Monday, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the terminations were done on “flimsy grounds”. However, her comments led to a backlash with many pointing out that many government employees were dismissed for anti-national activities during her tenure as the chief minister of the erstwhile state.