Better late than never, the decision of the UT Government to cause jobs of those public servants of whatever cadre to be lost under a well devised process who were found involved in activities prejudicial to the interests of the country in any manner, is a welcome step. In fact, such a step of going in for periodic screening of employees to find out if any activities that promoted acts of terrorism , subversion, secessionism and espionage were directly or indirectly as a result of their involvement followed by usual action, was certainly going to have its desired impact. In fact, discreet enquiries at the time of appointment in the service, cross checked by concerned Government agencies etc , was bound to have an effect of vastly pre-empting of any such activities which were in the realm of being treated as seditious and anti-national as also against the safety and the security of the country. It is an accepted fact that because of a particular type of camouflage used by an employee by dint of being a Government employee, it was deemed to be easier, though erroneously, to carry out such activities with assumed impunity which had direct relation with promoting and spreading terrorism and even working at the behest of such foreign elements and agencies which were pursuing an anti India agenda. It was usually found that acts of espionage were indulged in under such a framework which, many a time, could not be detected well in time.
The other antidote to carrying out of such activities by unscrupulous , dishonest and disloyal employees was to get an undertaking at the time of being considered for appointment in Government service that he or she would remain steadfastly loyal to the country and its constitution , not indulge in any of such activities which came under the ambit of being hostile, seditious, anti national or spreading of any type of discord or hate against the country and its Government in the event of which, the Government is within its right to terminate one’s services. The undertaking could have other clauses like liable to be transferred to any part of the Union Territory as being stationed at one place and that too for many years, has vulnerability of its own kind in such activities being facilitated and getting necessary oxygen . Therefore, mobility of public servants is another antidote to anti national activities and a measure to pre-empt such indulgence. Besides, disclosing details of assets and liabilities without fail every year or when demanded by the administration in between, too would shed enough light on the suspect employees. All these undertakings duly signed and submitted by an employee at the time of appointment but before joining the duties would make the task of the administration quite easy in terminating the services of the (established) black sheep, by invoking the relevant clauses of J&K Civil Services (Character and Antecedents) Instructions and other Service Conduct Rules which, inter-alia, dealt with the issues of absolute integrity, loyalty, honesty and allegiance to the country and its constitution, the non negotiable and irrevocable basic condition and premise of getting employed as a Government servant. In more than the current conventional ways, it was imperative to impress upon the Government employees that it was deemed of them to be possessing immense integrity, having impeccable loyalty to the country and the constitution with orderly and good conduct in public life.
Periodic review not only of the activities and conduct of the Government employees is a must by an authority in each Department designated for the purpose by the Government but even about one’s way of living, spending, raising of and acquiring assets in personal and in the name of family members as it is the money factor as main inducement to carry out and help overtly or covertly in promoting acts of terrorism and violence, espionage, sabotage, acts of secessionism and the like at the behest of some elements owing allegiance to countries hostile to India. Hence, a surveillance on the suspect employees on their money and assets related matters backed by mandatory annual declaration of assets and liabilities would provide room for enough suspicion and give timely indication of the concerned employee involved in such activities which were prejudicial to the interests of the country to face the action at the earliest
We know and the same has adequately been conveyed to the employees that even without conducting any enquiry , services of an employee found involved in activities prejudicial to the safety, security , integrity and sovereignty of the country could be terminated. However, due care needs to be taken that there was no undue harassment or wrong or on quite frivolous grounds any such action taken which could imperil the job of an innocent employee , however, there being an inbuilt mechanism in the recent directives of the Government to address those fears, is quite satisfying.
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