SRINAGAR: Senior IPS officer, Basant Rath, has hit left, right and centre to justify his joining the far-right BJP. In a write-up, he has attacked the separatists, Kashmir politics and the Congress and termed the Kashmir politicians as “conflict entrepreneurs” “theatre artists of Gupkar” who play “politics of identity capitalism” and politics of “Kashmir exceptionalism”.
“I decided to quit the IPS and join BJP because I intend to challenge the political monopoly of the conflict entrepreneurs of Gupkar, Maisuma and Rajouri Kadal and help open up democratic space for our youth,” Rath wrong in a write up in the Outlook. “Because I wish to focus my energy and integrity to do in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh what Abdul Sattar Edhi did to health and education sectors in Pakistan.”
Rath who never went on central deputation and always remained within Jammu and Kashmir sees the erstwhile state as his karambhoomi. An IGP rank officer, he had face-offs with politicians as well as his bosses. More than once, the police registered cases against him.
His write up starts with this paragraph: “Because while hundreds of people lost their lives in Srinagar in a certain year, the then chief minister who did nothing to prevent those deaths, threw tantrums in Gupkar because he couldn’t get his daily quota of Rainbow-brand milk imported from Dubai.”
Another interesting paragraph is: “Because female students can’t help using tardy, overcrowded buses and matadors run by ill-behaved, abusive drivers; and they can’t help facing harassment, humiliation and monetary loot during their daily commute. And the vehicles are owned by businessmen who pay hefty bribes to cabbages masquerading as politicians.”
The write up talks about “dozens of politicians” who siphoned thousands of crores of rupees of taxpayers’ money to finance their business ventures in Bengaluru and Burz Khalifa. Besifdes, it said the politicians have encroached upon meadows in Gulmarg and Ganderbal; and grabbed public land in Bagat Parraypora, Bathindi and Nagrota to build palatial houses for their clan.
Apparently responding to the question Why I Decided To Quit The IPS And Join BJP, the senior IPS write. “Because these theatre artists of Gupkar play politics of identity capitalism to fool the innocent public, steal their votes and loot their hard-earned money. While in power, they preside over the health department that has blood on its hands, the blood of hundreds of toddlers who die in the children hospital in Srinagar in winters. While out of power, these politicians share requests for oxygen cylinders and blood donation on Twitter.” He adds: “Because some tall leaders play condolence politics in Jammu and Kashmir before polling and thank Pakistan after the elections. In public speeches in Sopore and Shopian, they’ll exhort the masses to stay away from polling booths, and to kill and to get killed in the name of Kashmiri exceptionalism; and away from public glare, they’ll use Pakistani money to build palatial houses in Hyderpora and Maisuma.”
Another reason of the poet-cops is: “Because cabbages are bad for the health of the political space in J and K. Because a clean divorce is healthier than a dirty marriage in one’s life.”
It is not known if his resignation has been accepted and if at all he has formally joined the ruling BJP.
