Casting aside ‘insult and disregard’, lady IAS officer from MP on way to become Sadhvi

Sravani Sarkar

NewsBits.in

Bhopal: Casting aside ‘insult and disregard’ and seeking ‘unbound and unconditional love of almighty’, suspended lady IAS officer from MP, Shashi Karnawat is all set to denounce worldly life and become a ‘Sadhvi’.

The Dalit officer, suspended since three years on charges of financial irregularities, told NewsBits.in that she is mentally prepared for the move but would finalise her action by January 2017.

Karnawat spent a month in Ayodhya camp at the recently concluded Simhastha 2016 at Ujjain and said that it was the ‘golden period’ of her life. “The experience has bolstered my thought of giving up the worldly bindings and seek unconditional love,” she said.

The officer said that her family is settled and she had already spent 35 years in service and it was time she did something for herself. Karnawat has been in forefront of campaign against the alleged ‘anti-Dalit’ attitude of the Madhya Pradesh government.

“I have been leading a bound and conditional life until now, but now I feel I must do something that makes me happy. So I have decided to turn the insult and disregard hurled my way into an opportunity,” she said.

Shashi Karnawat was granted IAS cadre in 1999. Her suspension in September 2013 came after a Mandla court held her guilty in a printing scam in the district during year 1999-2000. She was sentenced to five years in jail and Rs 50 lakh penalty was imposed on her. She later was released on bail.

She has since been claiming that she was framed, mainly because of her social background.

She said that during the month in Ujjain she spent her time delivering discourses, meeting saints and participating in spiritual events. She also took holy dip during all the Shahi Snans during the event.

She has received initiation into spiritual order from Pitambara Pith in Datia and Ayodhya Pith with Janmajeya Sharanji Maharaj as her guru.  

“Till now I was tolerant because I was enslaved by worldly issues, but now I plan to be tolerant and patient because of heightened awakening,” Karnawat said while speaking to NewsBits.in.