Kashmir lockdown: Ex-IAS officer calls for 'tape our mouth' protest

Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, who resigned from service in August to protest against the lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir, has been steadfast in speaking out about the issue.

On Tuesday, Gopinathan called for a unique form of protest on Saturday (October 19) against the continued security restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir. Saturday would mark 75 days since the Narendra Modi government announced the abrogation of Article 370 and implemented a massive security clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir. Gopinathan called on citizens to “tape our mouth” for 75 minutes on Saturday to mark 75 days of the security clampdown.

Gopinathan tweeted, “All who feel that we need to stand by our fellow citizens, let's tape our mouth on 19th Oct, that is 75 days of this, for 75 minutes or any time we are comfortable, gather at any place, or do it individually. Do we have even 10 concerned citizens?”

Gopinathan tweeted an image of himself with his mouth covered by two strips of tape, writing, “It has been 70 days since an entire population in our country has been shut. It was only after 69 days that even basic mobile communication was restored partially. If we are to be mute spectators to all this, let’s be that in a proper way.”

Gopinathan also posted a series of tweets on Tuesday, criticising the Union government for its handling of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Gopinathan held the government responsible for the failure to resettle Kashmiri Pandits. He wrote, “To those who ask what about Kashmiri Pandits, yes exactly Government, what about Kashmiri Pandits. A government which has not been able to resettle Kashmiri Pandits till now and has now alienated the rest of the Kashmiris as well is both incompetent and dangerous for country.”

Gopinathan has been critical of the Modi government's handling of the Kashmir issue since submitting his resignation. Gopinathan was working in the Union territory of Daman and Diu.