Muslim, Sikh outfits in Jammu demand reservation in Assembly, higher education, jobs

Some Muslim and Sikh organisations in Jammu on Monday demanded reservation for the communities in the Assembly, higher education and employment, claiming that they have "suffered neglect".

Their demand for reservation in the Assembly came at a time the government has set in motion the process of delimitation of constituencies.

"While undertaking the process of delimitation of Assembly constituencies, Jammu Muslims should be given proper representation...as we have suffered neglect throughout," Jammu Muslim Front (JMF) chairman Shuja Zaffar said after a meeting of the outfit here.

The JMF demanded that six constituencies be reserved for them.

Zaffar also sought immediate reservation for his community in higher educational institutions and jobs.

Various Sikh outfits, including the J&K Gurdwara Parbandhak Board (GPB) and the Jammu District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DGPC), have also made similar demands.

"We demand minority status for the community and proper consultation with our leaders while undertaking the process of delimitation of Assembly constituencies," said Tarlochan Singh Wazir, the GPB chairman and a former member of the Legislative Council.

He said five Assembly constituencies should be reserved for the community to meet their "political and democratic aspirations".

He said the Sikh community in Jammu and Kashmir, which has mostly come from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Partition, has been "deprived of their political and fundamental rights in every sphere of life".

The demand came just three days after the National Conference rejected the process of setting up of a delimitation commission by the Centre for redrawing parliamentary and Assembly constituencies in the newly created Union Territory.

On Friday, the National Conference announced the rejection of the delimitation process and said its three members of Parliament would not participate in the commission as it "will be tantamount to accepting the events of 5th August 2019".

On August 5 last year, the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.