Several political leaders and hundreds of students have gathered outside the residence of Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah to seek a review of the reservation policy, which was introduced by the lieutenant governor-led administration earlier this year.
Present with the students was Abdullah's own party (National Conference) member and MP Ruhullah Mehdi. In a post on X on Sunday, he had called for a protest at Gupkar Road outside the CM's residential office to demand rationality in the reservation policy.
Opposition leaders from PDP, Waheed Para and Iltija Mufti, along with Awami Itihad Party leader Sheikh Khurshi (brother of Engineer Rashid), have also joined the protest.
On top of all this, Abdullah's son also stepped outside to join Mehdi and the students.
Meanwhile, Mufti spoke to the students and later told reporters, "We are not here to do politics."
She said the politics in the valley revolves around Article 370 and the restoration of statehood, with no one talking about the "youth".
"They have very basic demands - like the reservation must be equitable and not discriminatory... We hope the govt that came to power with a huge mandate and with a promise that they will rationalise the reservation - we hope the NC govt fulfils their promises in a time-bound manner," Mufti told ANI.
{{/usCountry}}"They have very basic demands - like the reservation must be equitable and not discriminatory... We hope the govt that came to power with a huge mandate and with a promise that they will rationalise the reservation - we hope the NC govt fulfils their promises in a time-bound manner," Mufti told ANI.
{{/usCountry}}Hours after the protest began, chief minister Omar Abdullah called in the students and spoke with them in his office.
What is the policy?
The policy introduced by LG Manoj Sinha-led administration, before the assembly elections early this year, reduced the reservation percentage for the general category and increased those for the reserved categories in jobs and admissions.
The then administration had approved 10 per cent reservations for Paharis and three other tribes, taking the total reservations under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category up to 20 per cent.
It also granted 8 per cent reservations to Other Backward Classes (OBCs), besides adding 15 news castes to the list of OBCs as recommended by the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Commission.
The Parliament, in February, had approved reservations for Pahari ethnic tribe, Paddari tribe, Kolis, and Gadda Brahmins, during the budget session.
Later in March, the Administrative Council met under LG Sinha and approved the proposal of the social welfare department to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005 in light of Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023, dated 15.12.2023, Constitution (Jammu & Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Act, 2024, Constitution (Jammu & Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act, 2024 and recommendations of Jammu and Kashmir Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission.
Policy triggers anger, protests
This reservation policy did not go down well among politicians and students alike. Calls for review and reversal of the policy were being sounded across the valley.
While NC MP Ruhulla Mehdi had promised the students to join their outcry in November, he clarified that the reason for the new government not taking any action over the reservation policy was because of a confusion between the devolution of power between the newly elected Omar Abullah-led government and LG Sinha.
“I am told that there is some confusion about the distribution of the rules of business on many issues between the elected government and the other undemocratically imposed office and this subject is one among them. I am assured that the government will take a decision to rationalise the policy soon,” he had said.
J&K govt forms panel to review policy
On December 10, the Jammu and Kashmir government formed a three-member panel to review the reservation policy in jobs and admissions.
The panel comprises health minister Sakina Itoo, forest minister Javed Ahmad Rana, and science and technology minister Satish Sharma.
So far no deadline has been set for the committee to submit its report.
Two days later, the Jammu and Kashmir high court, while hearing a fresh petition challenging the reservation policy, sought a response on the same from the government within a time period of three weeks.
The court also clubbed the previous petition with the recent one.
Will abide by court's decision: CM
Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday said that while his government has formed a committee to review the reservation policy, it will abide by the court directions on the matter.
Explaining that he understands the emotions surfacing over the reservation issue, Abdullah affirmed that his party JKNC is fully committed to reviewing all the aspects of its manifesto.
"It is as a continuation of this commitment that a cabinet sub-committee was constituted to move towards fulfilling this promise. That sub-committee was only recently notified & is in the process of starting its work by engaging with all stakeholders," Abdullah said in a post on X.
He noted that the policy has also been challenged in the High Court, saying that his government will surely be "bound by any judgment when the final legal options have been exhausted".
The chief minister further said, "It has come to my attention that a protest is being planned in Srinagar to highlight the sense of injustice surrounding the reservation policy. Peaceful protest is a democratic right & I would be the last person to deny anyone that right but please protest knowing that the issue has not been ignored or swept under the carpet."
He assured people that everyone would be heard and a fair decision would be taken after due procedure.