KOCHI: “We have to become a citizen who is aware of his rights, who is ready to question if his rights are denied,” said Kannan Gopinathan, the IAS officer who recently stepped down from service citing denial of freedom of expression of Kashmiris after the abrogation of Article 370.
Speaking at an event organised by Janakeeya Prathiroda Samithi here on Sunday, he reiterated that each individual has to stand up for what he/she believes in. Explaining the reason behind his resignation, he said, “It was more important to be a citizen than a civil servant. I did not resign on the decision to revoke 370, but on the violation of the fundamental rights of Kashmiris.”
The former IAS officer compared the situation of Kashmiris to the first vaccination of a baby. According to him: “Upon being injected for the first time, the baby tends to cry. Instead of giving the infant the freedom to cry, what happens if his mouth is covered. Kashmiri’s right to express is stifled similarly,” he said.
He also spoke about the circulation of fake news via Whatsapp. “These days, the younger generation tends to quit Whatsapp groups easily. Once they understand that elderly people like their parents believe in the fake news circulated on WhatsApp, they quit the group instead of explaining the facts to them,” he said.