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Govt asks former IAS officer to return citing Covid-19, but he says no
Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Kannan Gopinathan, who quit last year citing “growing intolerance”, has said he rejected the government’s directive
Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Kannan Gopinathan, who quit last year citing “growing intolerance”, has said he rejected the government’s directive to resume duties immediately because of the Covid-19 crisis.
Gopinathan resigned from the IAS eight months ago to protest what he said was “growing intolerance and curtailment of freedom of speech”. He tweeted that he had no plans to re-join government service.
“Received a letter from the Govt, asking me to rejoin my duty. While I extend all my services in health, wealth and mind to the Govt in this fight against Covid-19 pandemic, it will be as a free and responsible citizen and not anymore as an IAS officer,” he said in the tweet on Thursday.
There was no immediate reaction from the government on his remarks.
Talking to Hindustan Times from Maharashtra, where he is now settled, the former member of the 2012 batch of IAS said he had received a letter from the Union personnel ministry about resuming duties. He said he would formally respond to the latter in a couple of days.
Gopinathan said he is ready to serve the government and society, but not as an IAS officer.
“I am engaged in some service right now. I would like to continue this. If the government wants, I can go to Dadra and Nagar Haveli and any other part of the country, but only as a volunteer. Quitting the IAS was a well thought out decision and I stick to it,” the 33-year-old said.
The government is yet to accept his resignation, and Gopinathan said he has no idea why the letter was sent to him at this juncture. He said he believes the authorities may take some action against him under the Disaster Management Act.
“I really suspect [that] asking me to return is not with a good intent. I am not worried at all. Now I am working with some NGOs in Maharashtra. I don’t need the IAS tag to do some work. I am happy with my present freedom,” he said.
After quitting the IAS, Gopinathan was active in some protests and got arrested in December while travelling to the Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh.
During the 2018 floods, he came to Kerala to hand over a cheque from the Dadra and Nagar Haveli administration and left the place quietly. On leave, he discreetly worked for eight days in several relief camps, loading relief materials.
He left immediately after his batch-mate, then Ernakulam district collector YS Safarulla, recognised him. His service went viral on social media after he left Kerala. But he shunned all publicity and said he was only doing his job when his state was in distress.
Gopinathan hails from Eramalloor in Alappuzha district. As a union territory cadre officer, he was posted in Dadra and Nagar Haveli when he quit the IAS.
