PDP Leader Mohd Rafique Rather writes an Open Letter to District Development Commissioner Doda, Mr. Harvinder Singh (IAS)

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

CHENAB VALLEY SEPTEMBER 14:-

Dear Mr. Singh,

I am compelled to write this open letter to express my deep concern over your recent decision to invoke the Public Safety Act (PSA) against Mehraj Malik, Hon’ble MLA Doda. The grounds cited for this action raise troubling questions about fairness, proportionality, and the constitutional responsibility of your office.

At the outset, I must clarify that I do not write these lines merely as a political activist, but also as someone who has spent three decades in the employees’ movement and has worked as President of the JK Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) and Chairman of the JK Teachers Forum (JKTF). For 30 long years, I represented the employees’ community of all cadres, striving to protect their honour, dignity, and service rights. It deeply pains me to see government employees at any level resorting to undesirable actions, whether to please their bosses or to satisfy personal egos. I would not want to see a young officer like you embroiled in controversy so early in your career. Officers have long innings to play, and I have witnessed many who, by allowing provocation to dictate decisions, eventually suffered with no one to defend them.

As a public servant, your foremost duty is to uphold neutrality and fairness, inspiring confidence among the people. Governments may come and go, but the credibility of an administrator rests on restraint, maturity, and the ability to safeguard democratic values.

Let me also state clearly: I neither subscribe to nor support the language used by Mr. Mehraj Malik. Abusing or intimidating officers is unbecoming of an elected representative and must be condemned. I say this with some authority, as I have myself always stood firmly with the employees’ community in such situations—even when it meant facing hostility and reprisals from powerful politicians. I have suffered for standing my ground, but I never compromised on principles. That is why I believe strongly that invoking a stringent and extraordinary law like the PSA merely in response to rough language is neither justifiable nor sustainable. Administrative and constitutional mechanisms already exist to address such behaviour; bypassing them in favour of PSA sets a dangerous precedent.

What makes this decision even more unfortunate is the timing. At a moment when Doda is grappling with unprecedented floods and landslides, leaving hundreds of families shelterless and struggling for food, the presence of their elected representative was crucial. By jailing him, the administration has added to the public’s miseries and deepened the trust deficit when compassion and collective leadership were needed most.

History does not judge administrators by temporary provocations but by the fairness and restraint they demonstrate in difficult times. Statehood will be restored sooner or later, political realities will evolve, but your legacy as an officer will depend on whether you chose balance and magnanimity or allowed avoidable controversies to overshadow your service.

In the larger public interest, I urge you to reconsider this action. Releasing Hon’ble MLA Mehraj Malik will not be seen as a sign of weakness, but rather as an act of maturity, statesmanship, and compassion—qualities that define true leadership.

Sincerely,
Mohd Rafique Rather
Senior Leader, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party
Former President, JK Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC)
Former Chairman, Jammu Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF)