Taking strong exception to the inhuman treatment meted out to late Home Guard Sandip Hati (45) who attempted self-immolation near the Naveen Niwas on September 2 and died on September 11 last, the Freethought Party of India (FPI) demanded that the Odisha Government implement the Orissa High Court’s order 45 years back upholding Government servant’s freedom of speech and expression.
It was on August 2, 1971 the court upheld Government servant’s freedom of speech and expression, that is, a Government servant is free to express his sense of injustice the way he prefers as the best. Rule 6(ii) & Rule 7(i) of the Odisha Government Servants’ Conduct Rules of 1959 were declared as ultra vires of the Constitution. This order of the High Court was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court of India.
However, the State Government’s disregard of the court order is the principal reason for which Home Guards were dismissed because of their participation in a rally. No employee should be dismissed because of his participation in a rally. The Government should govern with empathy. A man who is in his forties is clearly burdened with family obligations. He has his wife, old parents and children to take care of. If he is dismissed, what would happen to his family obligationsIJ This should have weighed heavily in the mind of the State Government when Home Guard Sandip Hati was thrown out of State Service, said FPI release.
The FPI demanded that the State Government should take action against all Chief Secretaries who did not care to implement the judgment of the High Court.