J&K govt’s inaction on reservation risks pushing youth to radicalism: PDP leader
A day after the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet referred the report on reservation drafted by the cabinet sub-committee to the Law department for legal opinion, Opposition parties in the Valley criticised the move saying the issue is being delayed.
PDP leader and MLA Waheed Para termed it “a deliberate denial of justice.”
“The NC government has the power to strike down the BJP-imposed policy with a single administrative order. But the party that promised to reverse BJP’s damage is now complicit in continuing it,” he said on X.
“Erasing merit in Kashmir is not just a political issue but also a national security concern, given that J&K is a border state where the youth are vulnerable to militancy, radicalism and cross-border influences.”
“If the Kashmiri youth are not offered hope, it will only empower subversive elements, further destabilising a generation and future. The government’s inaction risks pushing these young people into a corner, forcing them to choose between studying and preparing to face the world or fighting against a system that has failed them,” he said.
Para said the government must act now, with the urgency this issue demands.
“It cannot continue to hide behind excuses while the students’ futures hang in the balance. Rationalisation of reservation and proportional representation represent the only fair path forward, and it must be implemented without further delay,” he said, adding, “We stand with our students without affiliations and unions, feeling their pain, sharing their concern.”
“Their struggle is genuine, and we will fight alongside them until justice is served,” said Para.
Handwara MLA and People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone said he has been maintaining that the “government is clueless on reservations and has no intentions of doing anything.”
“Now coming to this draft proposal. To the best of my knowledge anything sent to cabinet should be vetted by the law department. It is not the other way round. You can’t send something to the cabinet which is outside the domain of law. It looks like another round of time wasting tactics,” he said.
Awami Ittehad Party accused the National Conference-led government of “betraying the aspirations of lakhs of meritorious youth from the general category.”
“This is not governance—it’s an elaborate circus of deceit, delay and diversion. The Omar Abdullah government has once again proved that its words are hollow and its promises mere gimmicks,” AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said.
In 2024, the UT administration under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha granted a 10% reservation to the Pahari community, increasing the total share of reserved seats for various categories to nearly 70%, leaving only 30% for open merit candidates in government jobs. The move sparked widespread criticism. After Omar Abdullah assumed office as Chief Minister last year, students and opposition leaders demanded a review of the policy.
Subsequently, the NC government announced a cabinet sub-committee to examine grievances. The committee completed its report as the six month timeline ended on June 10.
J & K