Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan joins Congress, years after quitting over Article 370 move. Who is he?
Kannan Gopinathan, a former IAS officer known for his bold stance against government policies, has joined the Congress party. He had resigned from the civil service in protest of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan on Monday joined Congress in the presence of Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and party leader Pawan Khera at an event in the national capital.
Gopinathan had resigned from service as a mark of protest against the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
"Abrogating Article 370 might be a decision of the Government. But if you decide to shut down an entire state, jail all journalists, MPs and former CMs, shut down transportation, communication and internet, then is it right? This is a question not just for me but for all of us. Can this be right in a democratic nation? Should voices not have been raised against this? I raised that question and I stand by it even today," Gopinathan said after joining the Congress.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said that it was the happiest moment that one of the brave bureaucrats who “has passion towards the downtrodden and marginalised people of this country, and who always fought for justice, love and affection, Kannan Gopinathan” is joining Congress.
"It gives a clear message that Congress is the only party who is fighting for justice for this country...He resigned from Civil Services in 2019 but he says that his resignation has not been accepted...Bureaucrats who fight for justice and marginalised people are penalised by the system...Even CJI is not spared. This is the time to rise and fight against this divisive agenda," Venugopal said.
Who is Kannan Gopinathan?
Kannan Gopinathan is a former Indian Administrative Service officer and an activist from Kerala. He had resigned from service as a mark of protest against the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Born in the Kottayam district of Kerala, Gopinathan had his early education in Palakkad before moving to Kottayam. Gopinathan did engineering in Electrical and Electronics from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi. He is married to Himani Pathak, a software engineer, whom he met during his volunteering days in Noida.
2012 batch AGMUT Cadre
After joining the IAS in 2012 in the AGMUT Cadre, Gopinathan came to the limelight for his rather unusual letter to the then State Bank of India chairperson requesting an ATM in the remote subdivision of Hnahthial, in Mizoram.
Gopinathan is known for his role in Mizoram (including as District Magistrate of Aizawl), where he initiated disaster management tools, school-revival programmes and youth interventions. In 2018, Gopinathan worked at relief camps in flood-hit Kerala, his home state.
Prominent face during anti-CAA Protests
After his resignation, Gopinathan became a vocal critic of government policies on Kashmir, human rights, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and other issues. He was one of the leading figures during the protest against the Act. Gopinathan was detained at multiple locations, including Mumbai, Agra, and Prayagraj, preventing him from participating in protests and delivering talks.
The government asked Gopinathan to report for duty again in April 2020, but he refused, stating that he was ready to volunteer for the COVID-19 crisis and would not be rejoining the IAS. Later, an FIR was registered against him under various sections of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and the Indian Penal Code, based on a Government complaint regarding his refusal to rejoin duty. The government also initiated disciplinary proceedings against Gopinathan for violating service rules.
(With agency inputs)