IAS Kannan: Can't remain silent when the country is going through a turbulent time

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IAS Kannan: Can't remain silent when the country is going through a turbulent time

We are all proud of such officers. Kannan won accolades for his work, a former IAS Officer says

Sunday August 25, 2019 10:21 AM, ummid.com News Network

New Delhi/Kochi: Throwing some light on why he resigned as an IAS Officer, Kannan Gopinathan on Saturday said it was difficult for him to remain a mute spectator at the time when India was going through a turbulent time, an entire state was banned and freedom of expression of people was curtailed.

“If you ask me what you were doing, when one of the world’s largest democracies announced a ban on the entire state, and even violated the fundamental rights of the people, I should at least be able to reply that I resigned my job,” he told ieMalayalam.com in an interview in a direct reference to crackdown on Jammu & Kashmir before abrogation of Article 370.

“I joined civil service with the hope that I can be the voice of those who have been silenced. But here, I lost my own voice", the young IAS officer, who was auded for his work during the 2018 Kerala floods, said.

"The question is not why I resigned, but how I cannot. I don’t think my resignation will make any impact. But when the country is going through a turbulent time, when someone asks me what did I do, I don’t want to say, ‘I took leave and went on to higher education in the US.’ It’s better to quit the job,” IAS Kannan whose resignation has created a storm, said.

"We used to say to change a system we should be in the system. I tried a lot. But I have no hope of correcting this system. People know how much I have done for them. But that is not enough", IAS Kannan said.

"I have no savings and I am currently living in the Government rest house. I don’t know where to go from here if I am asked to leave. My wife has a job. She is very supportive of me. That gave me immense courage,” Kannan added.

IAS Kannan Resignation

Kannan Gopinathan, a 2012 batch IAS officer from Kerala posted in Dadra and Nagar Haveli as power and non-conventional energy secretary, put in his papers on August 21. He had been in the news last year for his role in the flood relief efforts.

The AGMUT cadre IAS officer, Gopinathan had tweeted on August 20: "I once thought being in civil services meant an opportunity to expand the rights and freedoms of fellow citizens!"

He resigned more than a month after he was served a memorandum by the Union Home Ministry accusing him of indulging in acts of omission and commission, insubordination and dereliction of duty among other things.

Fellow IAS Officers extend their support

In his July 31 reply to the MHA memo, served on him on July 8, he refuted the charges of insubordination, dereliction of duty and dilatory tactics.

"It is submitted that I have been performing my duties diligently and to the best of my abilities," he wrote, adding he had been honest and committed to his duties, which was borne by the fact that the UT Administrator gave him 9.95 out of 10 points in the December 2018 appraisal.

IAS Kannan is receiving all-round support from different circles, including fellow IAS officers.

"We are all proud of such officers. Kannan won accolades for his work. Why does he choose to resign from a service, the IAS, that offers so much scope to serve the people & derive enormous amount of satisfaction? He himself demonstrated what can be done", former IAS officer Anil Swarup wrote on Twitter.

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