SRINAGAR: The All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has extended its support to the protest led by National Conference Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah against the reservation policy. The APSCC has called for greater preference to be given to youth in the open merit category for jobs and other opportunities, emphasising the need to prioritise merit over politically motivated reservations.
In a statement, APSCC Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina asserted that the open merit category, being the largest, deserves greater weightage as was the practice in the past. He criticised the reservations granted to smaller groups as being politically driven rather than reflective of ground realities. According to Raina, this policy has created unrest among youth in the open merit category, which can only be addressed by abolishing these reservations and restoring opportunities for meritorious candidates.
Raina further called for a judicial probe into what he described as systemic injustice faced by the majority at the hands of a minuscule group, which he claims has deprived the majority community of its rightful share in employment and other opportunities.
Highlighting the challenges faced by the Sikh community, Raina lamented the decades-long denial of reservations in jobs and other fields of life despite repeated demands. He pointed out that Sikhs were even excluded from benefits under the non-migrant category in Jammu and Kashmir, a decision he termed unjust. He urged the authorities to extend minority community benefits to Sikhs, who have long been classified as a minority, to rectify the historical inequities they have faced. Raina emphasised that while justice has been delayed, it must now be delivered without further delay. -(KL)
