J&K govt's handling of reservation issue shattered students' trust in system: PDP leader

Srinagar: PDP leader Waheed Para said on Thursday that the Jammu and Kashmir government's handling of the reservation issue has disillusioned students and shattered their trust in the system.

"Six months ago, the J&K government promised to resolve the reservation issue through a subcommittee report. That deadline has passed, leaving thousands of students heartbroken and disillusioned, their trust in the system shattered and their futures put on hold," Para said in a longish post on X.

The opposition MLA from Pulwama said the National Conference (NC) government in the Union Territory has the power to strike down the BJP-imposed policy with a single administrative order, but the ruling party that had promised to reverse the BJP's damage is now complicit in continuing it.

"This is a deliberate denial of justice. These students have already endured violence, lockdowns, and lost opportunities. Now, as they seek fair representation and rationalised reservation, the government is pushing them further to the margins.

"If this is their response to a pressing youth issue well within their control to solve, then what should we expect on Article 370, statehood, or the Wakf Amendment Bill which requires them to speak truth to power?" he asked.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader said ignoring merit is not just a political issue but a national-security concern.

"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 added.

Para said the government must act now with the urgency that 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.

The PDP leader said he stood with the 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".

In an earlier post, Para said the cabinet sub-committee exists to stall the government's stand on merit.

The sub-committee, formed in December last year following student protests, was scheduled to submit its report to the government at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday.

However, the government has maintained a stoic silence on whether the report was submitted or not.

The head of the sub-committee, Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Ittoo, announced last week that the report was completed within the time-frame of six months and that it would be placed before the cabinet at its next meeting.

Para said it was unfortunate that how some student sold out merit for petty favours.

"Unfortunate how some students who indulged in this false process sold out merit for petty favours," he added.

The existing reservation policy, which as enacted after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, provides only 30 per cent vacancies for general category candidates, who account for nearly 70 per cent of the population.