I will use code language to update Facebook: IAS officer on JK govt’s gag order

Reacting to the Jammu and Kashmir government’s gag order on the use of social media for its employees, IAS officer Shah Faesal said Wednesday he would now use code language to update his Facebook account.

“Heard that government employees will be subjected to foot whipping for operating Facebook (account). From now on I will use coded language to update,” Faesal, first Kashmiri to top the civil services examination in 2009, wrote on his Facebook page hours after the government issued the gag order.

The state government had in the order Tuesday barred its employees from using their social media accounts for any political activity by amending the conduct rules for them.

According to the regulatory order (SRO), no government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the state.

While the gag order was widely condemned on the social media, many users “warned” Faesal that the order might land him in trouble.

Seven hours later, the IAS officer wrote another post in which he called on government employees to observe a certain code of conduct while using social media.

“Jokes apart, government employees must observe a certain code of conduct while using social media. I mean good behaviour, nothing more.

“I have seen some teachers hurling invective, doctors abusing with freedom, officers getting into unsavoury arguments and engineers sharing indecent content, much to everyone’s embarrassment. This is not acceptable. Even criticism has to be worded politely,” the civil servant said.