Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 25: Amid growing calls for a review of the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir, the All India Backward Classes Union (AIBCU) Social has asserted that the Chief Minister must rationalize the reservation policy but it must align with the national framework.
This issue was voiced during an executive meeting chaired by Mohd Latif Qureshi. Key members of AIBCU Social, including MS Shama, Bisharat Najar, M Asif Nahar, Rashid Uk Din (president), Arshad Najar (Chairman), Abdul Rashid (general secretary, Kashmir Province), and others, expressed their concerns about the existing reservation policies.
The Union highlighted that despite OBCs constituting nearly 60% of J&K’s population, they have been denied their rightful 27% reservation as mandated by the Supreme Court’s 1992 judgment on the Mandal Commission. Instead, OBCs were reclassified as “Other Social Castes” (OSCs) and granted only 2% reservation—a move the Union criticized as ineffective and unjust.
AIBCU Social also refuted the notion that Article 370, which previously granted special status to J&K, was a barrier to implementing constitutional rights for OBCs. They argued that successive governments ignored the Mandal Commission’s recommendations, leaving OBCs marginalized while disproportionately favoring other categories.
The Union pointed out that the national reservation framework allocates 15% for Scheduled Castes (SCs), 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes (STs), and 27% for OBCs, with 50.5% reserved for the general category. In contrast, J&K’s reservation policy allocates only 8% to OBCs, while the general category receives the bulk of the benefits.
Calling for an end to this disparity, the Union urged the CM to implement a reservation policy consistent with national standards. They emphasized that the revised policy should not be swayed by political considerations but must ensure equitable representation for OBCs, SCs, and STs.
The Union appealed to the Government to rectify the historical injustices endured by the OBC community.
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