Says Officer Beenish Stood Her Ground, But Why Did No One Speak Up?; Seeks Law Making Intimidation a Crime
Srinagar, Oct 16:Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference president and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone on Friday strongly condemned a video of an IAS officer screaming at a woman KAS officer during a meeting, calling it “much more than workplace bullying.”
Lone praised the KAS officer, Beenish, for her courage. “She stood her ground and upheld her dignity,” he said.
He said the incident should not come as a surprise, since such conduct has become normalised. “Workplace bullying by officers exists,” he said, describing a “vicious circle” in which senior officers bully juniors, who in turn bully those beneath them, until the behaviour reaches its “most lethal form” among ordinary citizens.
Lone said the real shock was that none of the male officers present in the room, or those attending the video meeting remotely, spoke up for their colleague.
He demanded stern action in this case and a permanent institutional mechanism to discourage bullying and intimidation, with legal provisions making it a crime. He said the protection must extend to the public as well. “It should be a crime to shout at, intimidate or bully common masses,” he said.
Citing another example, Lone accused that a recently retired officer’s pension and post-retirement benefits were put on hold by a senior IAS officer over an “utterly flimsy reason.” “Nobody will speak up,” he said.
