How PSC shattered faith of Afzal Guroo’s cousin in J&K’s institutions

2 members asked him meaning of his surname, others remained busy with
a different conversation

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, May 5: Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission’s
panelists and officials favoured their own relatives and scores of
blue-eyed boys by raising them from bottom to top in the personality
test of selection for Combined Civil Services. Those, who had neither
money nor effective connections, were mercilessly eliminated by the
selectors.

It was the last chance of life for Altaf Hussain Shah of Gorsai, Poonch, (Roll No: 1703741), who got an impressive 1000 in the Mains. He needed just 51 marks to reach 1051--- the cut off level for this RBA category. Inspite of his best ever performance during the interview, he was granted 50. His dream of becoming someday a Deputy Commissioner or Commissioner-Secretary in his state shattered with the deficit of one mark.

However, Shah’s veritable shock came the moment he learned that an Open Merit candidate, who happened to be the daughter of a PSC Member, had stood first with 205 out of 250 in the interview. Shadab Makhdoomi, daughter of the PSC Member Javed Makhdoomi, had secured just 952 out of 1950 marks in the Mains. Inspite of being from the backward category, Shah obtained a neat 1000.
Places were swapped in the viva when he got the lowest and she got the highest.

Story of the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guroo’s cousin, Yasin Guroo, is equally pathetic. Like Shah, it was the last chance of life for Guroo who is now 35 years old. This Open Merit candidate (Roll No: 1101283) stood behind only 22 candidates among hundreds who appeared in the Mains. He got a secure 1063 marks and required 65 only to reach the OM cut off i.e 1128. He was granted a paltry 30.

Yasin Guroo’s brother, Shaukat Guroo, remained in jail for over 9 years on account of his “involvement” in the terrorist attack on the Parliament on December 13, 2001. Cousin, Afzal Guroo, is awaiting execution as he has been sentenced to death.

“During 9 years of tribulation while pursuing my relative’s case in Delhi, I never lost faith in the Indian democratic institutions. I quarreled with others to assert that that justice is assured in this country. But, the day my result was out and I closely watched murder of talent and merit, I became speechless for ever”, Yasin Guroo told Early Times.

“I am now almost 35 and it was obviously the last chance for me but even if they conduct another examination in next two years, I am not going to appear. This is all wastage of time, energy and money. These prestigious jobs are a matter of SRO-43 in this state”, Guroo complained while alleging that children of influential bureaucrats, politicians and others were grabbing the KAS and KPS posts as a matter of inheritance.

Guroo, who has a Masters in English language and literature from the University of Kashmir, narrated an eye-opener. “When I entered for the viva, I witnessed most of the panelists unattentive and busy with whispering and side-talks. One member, Mr Bharti asked me the meaning of my surname. As I told him honestly that I didn’t know, he insisted that I did but was not making it open. Then, he too joined the whispering on some different subject with his fellow panelists. (Khizar Mohammad) Wani Sahib asked me two questions about the Mutiny of 1857.  I replied with precision. That ended the 7-minute session and I was asked to vacate”, Guroo said.

According to him, the last stage of the competition i.e. Personality Test is never intended to judge a candidate’s subject or general knowledge. Preliminary is actually meant for that. During the personality test, panelists are supposed to evaluate the overall behaviour, attitude and mannerism of a candidate. For example, they have to see how a candidate explains his lack of knowledge about the Mutiny. But, most of the candidates are dropped with the argument that they failed to give correct answers to the questions.

Yasin was appearing in his M.A. Final when brother, Shaukat, sisper-in-law Afshan, and cousin, Afzal, were arrested by Police in Delhi for their alleged involvement in arranging a house for a militant who later died during an attack on the Parliament in December 2001. He had to leave the examination half-way and spent years in arranging counsels and other support to his detained relatives but not before facing repetitive raids at home by different Police and security agencies. Thaw came when a court granted Shaukat’s and Afshan’s release in 2006. Shaukat was finally released earlier this year.

Yasin spent year 2008 and 2009 completely with his coaching and preparations for CCS examination. He was appointed as a government school-teacher in 2009 but, due to the hassles repeatedly created by different Police and security agencies he could not get his character verification certificate from CID for 18 long months. It was finally issued on February 2, 2011, when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah came out with a refrain that verification and travel documents could not be frozen or held back to relatives of subversive elements.

Dreams of Yasin-- and his entire family--- to join the civil service have been shattered when he found himself stumped out despite standing among toppers on the Main examination.

END