Conflict

Video: ‘To save’ his ‘conscience’, Kashmir cop resigns from the police force

Srinagar: A video of a  Jammu and Kashmir policeman wanting to resign from the police force for saving his conscience has been doing rounds all over the social media since yesterday.

The video has already been shared thousands of times, and has been picked up by the Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, India Today,  and other mainstream Indian news agencies.

The video begins with the man introducing himself as a constable in the Jammu Kashmir police force. The contents of the video were transcribed and some of them are given below.

“Hi, my name is Raees and I have served as a constable in the Jammu Kashmir police force since the last seven years,” he starts.

Referring to the people sharing their ‘feelings’ on social media, he says, “Everyone expresses here, so I want to share my feelings here with you.”

“Everyone expresses here so I want to share something with my friends too,” he says, “When I joined the police force, I had promised myself that I would serve the civilians of the state.”

“I thought I was doing Jihad as Jihad means fighting your illegitimate desires and fighting for people,” he says.

Jihad is an Arabic word which literally means striving or struggling, especially with a praiseworthy aim. It can have many shades of meaning in an Islamic context, such as struggle against one’s evil inclinations, an exertion to convert unbelievers, or efforts toward the moral betterment of society.

“There is a tempest here in Kashmir, and Kashmiris are dying. Kashmiris are rotting in jails getting blinded and maimed. And all of this, because Kashmir wants a plebiscite”

“Just in the same way that Gujarat acceded to India, we want a legitimate right to self determination too”

I only want Kashmiris to have peace. who are suffering all the time.

“The Kashmir dispute resolution is not in my hands, and my conscience calls out to me.

I see all this blood and this is not right. I dont want to see these things happening here but as a policeman, I have no choice. I have to see this.

I have no resolution for the Kashmir issue, but I think I have found one for the Raees freedom.

I am leaving this job. I will work hard elsewhere and make a living and help my family.

So that my conscience doesn’t weigh me down.”

He ends the video with a quote from Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet of Islam.

Rizk ke peeche apne zameer ko kharab na karo, kyunki rizk insaan ko aise talaashti jaise marne waale ko maut”

(Don’t lose your conscience in the process of making a living, because your living will look for you like death looks for a dying man)

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