‘Assalam Alaikum’ Cost IPS Officer Her Posting?

way2barak, September 18: Officially, it was a “routine transfer” for “public interest”. The political context, though, tells a different story. Hours before her transfer, a group called the Hindu Legal Fund claimed it had lodged a complaint with the West Bengal Home Secretary against IPS officer Bushara Bano, until recently the Additional SP of Kharagpur. The officer’s alleged offence was the greetings she used while speaking on video about her alma mater, Aligarh Muslim University, and praising its Residential Coaching Academy for helping her clear the UPSC exams. “She began with assalamu alaikum, used Inshallah… and did not use Vande Mataram or Jai Hind. A serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality and use national expressions,” according to the Hindu Legal Fund. The government’s opacity regarding the transfer strengthens the impression that it gave in to the demand.

Nothing in the All-India Service Rules prevents an officer from using religious or cultural greetings, especially in a private capacity. The inclusive secularism envisaged in the Indian Constitution — which officials and governments are meant to uphold — allows space for religious and cultural expression. By seemingly punishing an officer for words meant for a particular context and audience, West Bengal’s BJP government is, deliberately or not, making the same mistake as its predecessors.