Srinagar: The reservation row in Jammu and Kashmir which stirred protests from students and political leaders is stopping to settle down as the students who met the chief minister Omar Abdullah remain unconvinced from the government.
The students and activists said that the government or the ruling party, National Conference, has not issued an official statement about the “assurances” the chief minister gave them during his meeting with them at his official residence on Monday.
National Conference Member of Parliament from Srinagar Aga Ruhullah Mehdi led a protest with scores of students and activists outside the CM residence on Monday for reviewing the reservation rules which were amended by the BJP-led government in 2021.
The rules are being described as “discriminatory” by the general category population in Jammu and Kashmir who are demanding its review. The amended rules grant less than 40 percent seats in government jobs and admissions in professional colleges to the general category population which is more than 69 percent, as per the 2011 census.
The new rules grant reservation to different categories of the population in Jammu and Kashmir and a number of new castes and tribes were added to the reservation list.
Under public pressure, the government has formed a cabinet sub-committee to review the rules and whose report is expected to come within six months. The rules are under scrutiny in the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court where a petition has been filed by some activists against the 2021 reservation rules.
To pacify and quell the protests, the chief minister Omar Abdullah met students and activists at his residence.
“I have made certain requests of them & given them a number of assurances. This channel of communication will remain open without any intermediaries or hangers on,” Omar wrote on his social media handles after meeting the students and activists.
However, the students and activists remain unconvinced and have apprehensions about the government doing anything to resolve the row.
Umar Jamaal, a student activist, said the promise by the chief minister is far from a definitive success and lacks seriousness.
“If the Chief Minister was genuinely committed to addressing the issue, he could have halted all ongoing recruitments under the contentious policy until the review was completed. Moreover, six months is a long time, and the delay raises concerns about whether the review will yield any meaningful results,” Jamal said.
Vikas Amin who was among the students who met the chief minister said that the students had demanded issuing an official statement from the CM to which he had agreed but days have passed there was no statement.
“The chief minister committed to us on the resolution of the reservation issue within six months. The CM said a statement will be issued. Aga Ruhullah Mehdi (NC MP) too assured us that the statement will be released from the party office by evening. Despite these assurances, there is still no official statement from the NC yet,” Amin said.
Nasir Khuehami, a student activist, said the government must halt all recruitments until the reservation rules are amended.
“The government seems non-committal on addressing the grave issue of reservation as the ruling party legislators are speaking in differing statements about the issue. The chief minister must assure what and how the government is doing to undo the unjust reservation rules,” Khuehami said.
Sahil Parray, anti-reservation activist, said that the government must issue a written statement about the meeting; else the meeting with the chief minister “will be construed as an act to quell the protests, than any serious effort to resolve the issue”.
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