J&K IAS officer's outburst at woman colleague in official meeting sparks protests
A video showing a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer allegedly using intemperate language against a woman junior officer during an official review meeting in Jammu and Kashmir has been widely shared online, drawing protests from serving officers and criticism from regional political parties.
The meeting was held online on Thursday to review the performance of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir. In the recording, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, an IAS officer of the 2010 batch, is seen questioning the district's performance and shouting at Beenish Wani, Assistant Director (Employment), Ganderbal.
According to the clip, Mr. Ranjan also directed his subordinate staff to prepare a "suspension order of the female officer" over her remarks during the meeting, and said the Chief Secretary should dismiss her from service. "Nothing less," he is heard saying.
Ms. Wani, a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officer, said she attended the meeting from home even though she was on leave. "Senior officers should respect the dignity of women," she told The Hindu.
No public response from Mr. Ranjan was available in the initial reports on the episode.
The clip drew a sharp reaction from officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service and other cadres, many of whom posted messages of support for Ms. Wani. Mantasha Binti Rashid said she stood by a fellow JKAS officer who was engaging respectfully with her senior and trying to explain her position, while he used unparliamentary language with her.
"What happens in these meetings is often humiliating and demeaning," Ms. Rashid said. "Senior officers need to know what is acceptable and where to draw a line, especially when dealing with local officers who often know much more about matters on the ground." She added that high-handedness in a professional setting should not be accepted or made a norm.
Former Jammu and Kashmir minister and Peoples Democratic Party leader Naeem Akhtar said the incident reflected what he described as a "master-slave relationship" established in Kashmir, and said local officers were among the brightest. "An IAS officer cannot abuse and treat locals as native subjects and themselves as sahibs," he said, adding that there were administrative methods available to seek accountability from officers.
Mr. Akhtar's remarks referred to reported cases against Mr. Ranjan, including one relating to a gun licence racket in Jammu and Kashmir involving several IAS officers, and a Central Bureau of Investigation case in which he was booked for allegedly amassing assets beyond his known sources of income. Being named or booked in a case is not proof of guilt, and these matters are at the stage of investigation.
The reports that emerged on Thursday did not include any statement from the Jammu and Kashmir administration on the episode.
The incident has renewed discussion about conduct in official meetings, particularly the treatment of junior and local officers by senior officers posted in the Union Territory. Service and conduct rules require officers to maintain courtesy and dignity in their dealings with colleagues, and grievances can be raised before the senior administration or the relevant administrative tribunal.
