Shah Faesal resigned as India’s civil servant in January and has rallied in Kashmir, promising he will bid for peace.

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – On Monday, people gathered in the snow to listen to Shah Faesal in Kupwara, the northernmost district of Indian-administered Kashmir.

The crowd was large for a mainstream politician’s rally.

Weeks earlier, Faesal quit the Indian civil service citing unabated killings of Kashmiris and the lack of credible political outreach from New Delhi to Kashmir.

In 2010, he had topped the prestigious civil services entrance exam – the first Kashmiri to achieve the feat – inspiring other young people in the Muslim-majority region to pursue a similar path.