The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji, Pranaam. I’m Basant, Rama ka beta. Rama, my mother, taught me too many things when my parents were alive and poor, and I was young, uncoachable and ambitious. She taught me, her sixth child, only one thing: if her husband – my father, that is – says or does something unethical, inhuman and inhumane, I’ve her consent and blessings to fight against him like a true warrior. The way Javed Miandad, true to his elements, fought with mother nature’s elements and India’s tough, talented eleven Indian players that humid, soul-sapping April afternoon in Sharjah and decimated his opponents single headedly. I adore Miandad, the warrior. He is a pathetic human being, though.
I used to be an IPS officer who worked in Jammu and Kashmir since December 2001. Today, I’m a registered foot soldier of BJP. I come from Pipli, Puri. We were five children, alive, lively and kicking. Two off-springs of my parents died before Anant, my elder brother, was born. In my village ruled and ravaged by various permutations and combinations of Pandit Nehru’s Congress in late nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties, the probability of a child managing to live long enough to celebrate her sixth birthday was less than seventy-five percent. It was a public issue, not just a personal problem.
https://twitter.com/KangriCarrier/status/1690898387158347777
Dear PM Modi, till I reached the university named after Pandit Nehru to study sociology for my doctorate in rural development, I used to stammer in normal buyer-fruit-vendor conversations like Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist, stuttering during his custodial interrogation. I turned my speech impediment into a truckload of stepping stones and built an anti-fragile personality.
In 2000, I cleared the criminally, irrationally overrated civil services examination and got into the twice-born gang of India’s incompetent, unaccountable top cops known to the faceless, guileless masses of our developing democracy as the Indian Police Service.
found myself watching reasonably sane young women and men turning into power-drunk IAS-IPS-IFS-IRS probationers within a fortnight. I’m grateful that I met some uber brilliant human beings in the academy named after one of the great servants of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri in Musoorie, Uttarakhand: Wajahat Habibullah and B.S. Baswan (both IAS) who were directors; K. Sujatha Rao and Shaleen Kabra (both IAS) who visited as guest lecturers; Swayam Prakash Pani and Nilabja Chaudhary who are my batchmates in the IPS. Destiny has been kind to me when it comes to meeting great human beings. I worked with Swayam and Shaleen Kabra later in my career. And I got enough personal time and private space from Wajahat Habibullah when I forced my presence on him and drove him around in downtown Srinagar without security cover. Not too many Kashmiri-speaking IAS-IPS officers can afford.
In the National Police Academy in Hyderabad, I had the privilege of spending thirteen tough and toughened months with Renuka Sastry and Aditya Mishra (both in the IPS, UP cadre) and Ustaad Sardar Darshan Singh (a native of Bathinda who was an inspector in CRPF). Renuka Ma’am is one of my spiritual mothers. Since December 2001 when I joined Poonch for my district training in J and K till 2020 March when the outbreak of COVID 19 broke the spine of India’s under-resourced, under-staffed public health architecture crumbled like tailenders facing Shane Warne on a cricket pitch. Irrespective what the New York Times funded chroniclers of our times say, India did a tremendous job protecting her masses from the claws of the pandemic. We could have done better. Exactly the way Washington DC could have saved the American Indians. And the way the British could have prevented the Bengal famine.
The public health crisis in 2020 opened my eyes and ears to tinderbox issues of female labour force participation, domestic violence and drug trafficking. It also made me take note of other rabbit-holes of our times: students’ rights, unorganised labour and how best to grapple with other legacy problems our political economy. Then I decided to quit the IPS, join BJP and participate in electoral politics in J and K. (https://www.outlookindia.com/culture-society/why-i-decided-to-quit-the-ips-and-join-bjp-weekender story-261255).
In June/July 2020, I managed to provoke Dilbag Singh, the current criminal-police chief of J and K, and Ajay Bhalla, the current criminally incompetent union home secretary, enough to put me under suspension for “repeated instances of gross misconduct and misbehaviour”. The Ajay-Dilbagh cabal couldn’t initiate/complete the enquiry within the law-mandated one year and played extension-extension with my career; and theirs as well. No enquiry officer ever summoned me even once. Meanwhile, this cabal lodged an FIR against me in Srinagar for criminal intimidation. The allegations were that I’m on the payroll of Pakistan’s ISI and that I’ve always been a threat to India’s national security. The Srinagar police took more than three years to connect with me. That too via a fraudulently contrived non-bailable warrant that was thankfully modified into a bailable one. In June 2022, after bearing the brunt of disguised unemployment for two long years, I requested the chief secretary of J and K to process my request for voluntary retirement. The Ajay-Dilbag cabal sat over it. But they had the audacity and IQ to force me to hand over my personal service weapon to the criminally compromised police department that is bent upon doing an Udta Punjab in J and K. Both Ajay and Dilbag are from Punjab.
Dear PM Modi, only when I requested the chief secretary Arun Mehta to process my request to our Hon’ble President to dismiss me from the IPS under Article 311 and only after I uploaded a video message in which I called Dilbag a criminal, the Ajay-Dilbag cabal sent me a back-dated letter typed as an afterthought. Less than a fortnight after extending his suspension for another six months till January next year, the Ministry of home affairs has handed me over premature retirement in “public interest”. The ministry of home affairs, in its office memorandum, issued by director Sushma Chauhan stated that “after careful consideration of the UT Division and the performance of Basant Kumar Rath, it has come to the conclusion that officer is not fit to be retained in service in public interest”. “I am directed to refer to Police Division, MHA’s OM No 30012/01/2023-IPS-II dated August 7, 2023, and to say that the competent authority has approved the premature retirement of Basant Kumar Rath, IPS (AGMUT:2000) in public interest under Rule 16(3) of All India Services (Death-Cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958, with immediate effect by giving three-month pay and allowances in lieu of notice,” read an order of the MHA issued by Rakesh Kumar Singh, undersecretary on August 8.
Sushma Chauhan had the IQ to play text text with me on Signal app. No complaints, Dear Prime Minister. I’ve truckloads of hard evidence to make the Ajay-Dilbag cabal accountable for their criminal commissions, omissions and vicarious liability as civil servants.
This is what I wrote as a thank you note addressed to the people of J and K.
“What would you choose to believe in if the next bright college student who is about to lose his career, and then life, to drug abuse in Poonch, belongs to your family? Which ideology would you allow yourself to believe in if the next school-kid who is about to lose her eyes to pellets in Lalchowk, belongs to your family? How would you force yourself to wake up before Azan every morning – one lonely morning at a time – if the next victim of a road crash in Chenani who is declared brought dead by the doctors in GMC, Jammu because of a massive traffic jam on the national highway, belongs to your family? Why should you look forward to your day if the next budding pace bowler who will be falsely implicated in a case of stone-pelting in Rajouri Kadal belongs to your family? Where should you choose to ‘settle down’ after your retirement if the owner of the next liquor shop to be opened near a temple or a mosque in Gandhi Nagar belongs to your family? When should you decide to quit the coveted Indian Police Service if the next Bangladesh-returned doctor son who was brought up by the bonded labour of ten odd male and female constables is about to take up the Australian citizenship belongs to your family? Who should you want to be everyday if you can’t afford to forget that Rama, your mother, used to tell you when you were young and ambitious that a malinger doesn’t belong to her family?”
“My dearest resilient people of Jammu & Kashmir, questions like these have always lurked in my bald head since December 2001. As I sit down to pen this thank you note as it rains cats and canines in Jammu in the dead of this August night, I remember how you trusted me with your safety and security in Poonch, Charar-i-Sharief and Baramulla. I relive my productive days and terror-filled nights in Gool, Banihal and Ramban. Each month of my 23 years in the IPS has been guided and embellished by your unwavering presence and affection. My mad heart is filled with gratitude, admiration, and an overwhelming sense of purpose. The journey we have traversed together, bound by an unbreakable bond of belongingness has been nothing short of remarkable. Today, I find myself on the precipice of a new endeavour, one that seeks to carry forward the torch of public service onto a bigger platform, and I humbly implore your earnest blessings as I embark upon this uphill trek called politics.”
“From the verdant valleys to the majestic mountains, from the bustling towns to the tranquil hamlets, your faith in my abilities, your trust in my intentions, and your unwavering support have fortified my resolve. The unparalleled sense of belonging that you have bestowed upon me is a treasure I hold close to my heart, and it will be my guiding light as I tread the uncharted waters of the political arena. Your affection gave me the confidence to leap into an unknown world. Your unyielding spirit in the face of challenges, your determination to carve out a better future for your children, and your deep-rooted sense of community have inspired me beyond words. The struggles you endure, the dreams you nurture, and the hopes you cherish are the very foundation upon which my decision to step into politics rests. I wish to amplify your voices, to channel your aspirations into tangible actions, and to ensure that the legacy of Jammu & Kashmir remains one of courage, compassion, and unity.”
“As I embark upon this new chapter, I am acutely aware of the responsibilities that lie ahead. The road to meaningful and effective public service is laden with complexities, challenges, and myriad choices. Yet, armed with the lessons I have imbibed from your collective wisdom, I approach this endeavour with an unwavering commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and progress. Your compassion has nurtured me, your support has emboldened me, and your compassion has shown me the true essence of leadership – one that is rooted in humility and guided by empathy.”
“I humbly seek your blessings as I step onto the stage of politics, not as a departure from my service career, but as a continuation of the same ethos that we have cherished together. Your blessings, woven into the tapestry of our shared history, will be my shield against adversities and my beacon of hope in times of doubt. Every step I take, every decision I make, will be infused with the spirit of our beloved land and the aspirations of our resilient people.”
“My dearest companions on this journey, I extend my profound gratitude for the privilege of serving you and for the privilege of seeking your blessings. Together, we have weathered storms and celebrated victories, and it is with a heart brimming with hope and humility that I carry your love with me into this new arena. Let us continue to walk hand in hand, driven by our shared commitment to a brighter tomorrow, guided by the principles of justice, equality, and progress.”
“As a young energetic child, I used to play cricket in blazing Odisha summer, at unbearable temperatures. As an errand boy of the house, I had a fairly romantic relationship with the Odisha monsoon. I can tell what kind of rain showers are being graced down on earth by the sound of the rain striking the roof. Why am I spilling this unasked for information. Because my dear friends and foes underestimated my harmonious relationship with the extremes of nature. They imagined that the white towels of the bureaucratic chairs will seduce me enough to make me forget the pavement, where privilege never goes for a walk. As far as the seduction of bureaucracy is concerned, it never made its way to my room, I was too busy feeding my fish.”
“I asked for my termination from the police services, because I know I deserve better. And my dear seniors deserve better too. They have worked too hard to keep me at a safe distance from their desired retirement plans. I don’t intend to make it difficult for them to live the life they promised their now estranged spouses and partners. I don’t wish to ruin another weekend of my seniors and their legal, para legal and illegal well-wishers. I was a fairly chaotic and energetic child and had a knack for outdoor work, I still have the same energy minus the chaos and I need to put it to some good use. I asked for my dismissal because my mother had a belief in me that I won’t become just another glorified Babu in the assembly line. Because she once said, “My son survived on bare minimum food and had no resources, walked in chappal all this while and worked like a bee. He doesn’t deserve non-sense from anyone, including his father.” That was my mother’s opinion of me as a person and I believe her.”
“I asked for my liberation because hundreds of brilliant students who needed a sounding board reached out to me and told me how I’d been wasting my time and talent headbutting a brick wall called bureaucracy. From GMC, Doda to IUST, Awantipora to GDC, Samba, they don’t even ask for help these days, they just want to be heard. I have the ability and willingness to offer just that for my young friends. For them, I’ll be the most hardworking politician I know in my life. That is a given. With, without, despite and in spite of electoral success.”
“For failure doesn’t scare me; not listening to my mad heart does; not trying to find an answer to those soul-sapping questions does.”
Here is my first tranche of actionable information against the Ajay-Dilbag cabal running their criminal empire by using their well-oiled much-organized politician-bureaucrat-businessperson-media nexus. (haps ://www.outlookindia.com/national/how-article-370- tumed-the-politicians-in-jammu-and-kashmir-into-long-route-bus-drivers-weekender story-301202)
In 1998, Dilbag Singh, an IPS officer of 1987 batch who headed the police constable recruitment board as then the Additional Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police for Anantnag and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir, was placed under suspension for massive bungling in the recruitment of constables for the zone. The list that was finalized by Dilbag Singh was quashed and a fresh one was subsequently released to end public outrage at that time. Dr Ashok Bhan, one of the finest IPS officers of our generation who headed the high-level enquiry committee as IG Armed Police, J & K, made some shocking revelations in his inquiry report of August 1998. “After test checking of records and carrying out verification of 31 cases, the committee came to conclusion that gross irregularities were committed while making the selection, raising doubts about the intentions of the Recruitment Board.” But the very next year, in 1999, he was mysteriously reinstated by the NC government headed by CM Dr Farooq Abdullah despite having been found to be responsible for “gross irregularities”. Since then, Singh was never posted in Kashmir valley until his elevation as the DGP.
In 2011, the NC-Congress government headed by CM Omar Abdullah brought Singh as IG, Jammu. Singh has always been considered to be close to Devender Singh Rana, the Jammu-based business tycoon who was the trusted political advisor to Omar when he was the CM, who jumped the sinking National Conference ship in 2021 and joined BJP to protect his business empire. Later in 2018, when SP Vaid was unceremoniously removed as DGP in the dead of the night and shunted as the transport commissioner, Dilbagh Singh was directed to look after the force as an acting police chief. He got a regular appointment only after his name was cleared by the UPSC. Singh is strong and steady and poised to get one year extension in October this year.
The career path of Dilbagh Singh as an IPS officer working in J and K is a candid statement on the threats that India’s steel frame poses to her national security, political economy and human resources. Irrespective of which party is in power in New Delhi and no matter who is the CM (or governor or LG), J and K, three generations of faceless, voiceless masses have been subjected to toil under corrupt and incompetent governance regimes run by the politician-bureaucrat-businessman nexus. This nexus is the reason why J and K has topped the national chart in corruption year after violence-ridden year. From Kargil to Lolab to Lakhanpur of what used to be the state of J and K, hundreds of IAS and IPS officers (and their gang members in JKAS-JKPS) and their political masters have siphoned thousands of crores of rupees of taxpayers’ money to finance their business ventures in Jammu, Srinagar and beyond.
Let me run your attention through the list of the accused in the IAS-IPS who have been raided/interrogated /arrested by investigating agencies and convicted by various courts.
In 2009, Shaji Mohan, the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry winning IPS officer of 1995 batch who was heading the Chandigarh zone of the Narcotics Control Bureau, was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad with 12 kg of heroin. He got the consignment from Jammu and he was dealing with a drug dealer from Kashmir. All the five bags seized by the police team contained about 25 kg of heroin bearing Pakistani markings. At the time of his arrest, Mohan was in NCB for almost two years. During his term he submitted a report on six police men accusing them with charges of drug dealings. And he suddenly opted for a transfer to Enforcement Directorate in Kochi in Dec, 2008. During his stint in J and K police, Mohan was once in charge of what is known as Ramban district that connect the Kashmir valley with the Chenab region. Ramban boasts of having the longest stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in its jurisdiction.
A massive gun license scam was discovered by Rajasthan’s Anti-Terror Squad in 2017 when they arrested the dear brother of Kumar Rajeev Ranjan and others working as middlemen for gun dealers. The CBI raided 40 locations across Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi this morning, including the residence of senior J&K IAS officer in Srinagar, in connection with the illegal sale of gun licenses. In J&K the raids took place in Srinagar, Udhampur, Rajouri, Anantnag and Baramulla. At least eight former Deputy Commissioners have been investigated by the central agency. Since 2012 over two lakh gun licenses have been issued illegally from J&K. It is believed to be India’s biggest gun license racket. Last year two officials, including IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan, were arrested by the CBI. Mr Ranjan and Itrat Hussain Rafiqui, during their tenures as Deputy Commissioner of Kupwara district, allegedly illegally issued several such licences. In February last year the agency arrested a private individual who was “involved in various financial transactions with other co-accused, including public servants”. The apex agency later said it has unearthed a “deep-rooted conspiracy” in this matter. When the scam was first discovered in 2017, the then J&K government protected the accused under the guise of a vigilance probe. The case was handed over to CBI by former Governor NN Vohra, after he found the scam was being run J&K government officers.
I accuse that the Ajay-Dilbag cabal is hands in glove with the trio of drug mafia, land grabbing gang and fake gun licence scamsters.
Wishing you a Happy Independence Day.
With Awe and Reverence, Basant Rath 4:20 AM, August 14, 2023 Jammu
