SRINAGAR: Launching a blistering attack on the National Conference, the Union Government’s approach, and the existing reservation framework, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference President Sajad Lone on Thursday warned that continuing injustice in reservations could trigger a crisis “bigger than 1987”, while accusing successive regimes of disempowering Kashmir politically, economically and socially.
Lone, opened by dismissing the Governor’s address as an “unemotional, bureaucratic document” that appears designed to appease the Lieutenant Governor rather than reflect the lived realities and suffering of the people.
“It feels as though we are being asked to believe in a fairy tale world where everyone lived happily ever after. There is no reference to the abrogation of Article 370, Article 35A, the loss of statehood or the mass detentions that followed,” he remarked.
Questioning the silencing of dissent within the Assembly, Lone asked, “Is expressing pain a luxury for the people of Jammu and Kashmir? If we are not permitted to speak here, then why do we speak on the stairs outside? The people have sent us to this House, not to the stairs.”
The PC President drew attention to the stark contrast with Pondicherry, which has passed statehood resolutions fifteen times, while Jammu and Kashmir has not passed even one. “You do not even allow us to raise the issue,” he said, questioning the selective application of constitutional morality. “Was the abrogation of Article 370 legal? We were all locked up. One individual was chosen to sign on behalf of the people of J&K. Why are legal principles invoked only when it suits this Assembly?”
Highlighting grave employment disparities, Lone stated that Kashmiris constitute nearly sixty percent of the population of Jammu and Kashmir yet account for only twenty five to thirty percent of government employment. Despite performing strongly in open merit, their representation falls to roughly thirty percent once reservations are applied.
He cautioned that the Cabinet Sub Committee’s proposed ten percent increase in open merit would yield a mere two percent actual benefit due to internal redistribution. “There is a deficit of nearly thirty five percent when measured against population share,” he asserted.
In a deeply emotional intervention, Lone said, “This Kashmiri is jailed, slapped with PSA, denied police verification and now you wish to deny him employment as well. Where is he expected to go? There are lakhs of households staring at chronic unemployment.”
While underscoring the importance of unity between Jammu and Kashmir, Lone questioned the unequal burden placed on Kashmiri youth. “Why should only Kashmiri youth pay the price of this unity? Why should the cost not be shared equally or better still why should there be a cost at all? Why cannot opportunity be open and equal?” He described the prevailing approach as “a systematic process of exclusion and disempowerment,” reflecting a deeper hostility towards the region.
Referring to celebrations over the derecognition of a college, Lone observed, “In an age defined by Artificial Intelligence, we have warriors who distributed sweets when an educational institution was derecognized. Thirty years from now, when our children revisit this moment and see legislators celebrating the closure of a college, there will be nationwide demand for such warriors.”
Clarifying his position, Lone stated, “Not a single drop of blood in my body harbours ill will towards the people of Jammu. But they must look upon Kashmiris as their own children.”
Condemning the persistent branding of Kashmiris as anti national, Lone said, “Wherever Kashmiris go, they are confronted with a narrative that questions their loyalty. Yet when terrorism must be confronted, Kashmiri Muslims stand at the forefront. Look at the records of the J&K Police. Ninety percent of those who have laid down their lives are Kashmiri Muslims. And still they are otherized.”
Issuing his strongest warning, Lone cautioned that the reservation issue in the years ahead could become the most consequential flashpoint for Jammu and Kashmir, with ramifications potentially exceeding those of 1987.
He revisited the 1987 elections in detail, citing FIRs lodged against Yasin Malik and others for alleged electoral offences. “He picked up the gun only after that. Until then, he had not taken up arms. Today, he awaits his fate, whether it is the death penalty or otherwise.” Lone also referred to Shabir Shah, who never took up arms yet was booked under petty charges such as pickpocketing to delegitimise dissent.
“Thousands were imprisoned under PSA. Thousands of young people continue to live in limbo, uncertain whether they will be convicted, hanged or sentenced to life imprisonment. This is among the most perilous legacies a nation can leave behind,” Lone warned.
Lone systematically dismantled the National Conference’s claim of being targeted by the Centre, recalling its long history of alliances with central governments, from 1975 when it assumed power with Central backing, through the disputed 1987 elections, to 1999 when Omar Abdullah served as Foreign Minister in a BJP led government and the 2008 alliance with Congress.
“You have spent two to two and a half decades in partnership with central parties. In 1975, power was handed to you on a platter and today you seek to absolve yourselves? From Prime Minister to Chief Minister, who accepted the arrangement? Who legitimised it?” he asked.
Referring to Farooq Abdullah’s visit to the United Nations, Lone questioned its intent. “Did he go to defend Kashmiris or to suggest that only the guilty are killed while the innocent are spared? I leave that to your conscience. It was certainly not a visit undertaken for the people of Kashmir.”
He further questioned who supported the Prevention of Terrorism Act in Parliament, pointing out that ninety percent of POTA cases originated in Kashmir. “Who introduced PSA? Who voted for these laws?”
Speaking on the abuse of police verification, Lone said, “I was denied a passport on the grounds that my father was labelled a separatist. It was your CID chief who authored that report. This practice perhaps began in 1996 as a form of collective punishment. If one relative is suspected, the entire family is penalised. FIRs remain pending across generations. Today’s government merely exploits a system designed in the past. My father’s name was also included. The message is clear: remain silent and do not question.”
The PC President also criticised glaring inconsistencies in official communication. “Our Chief Minister claims he has no grievances with the Prime Minister. Three days later, ministers state that no funds have been released for the Jal Jeevan Mission for three years. The people deserve to know who is speaking the truth. Why is there one narrative for Delhi and another for the people of Jammu and Kashmir?”
Concluding, Lone called for an end to what he described as a politics of duplicity. “Maintaining cordiality with the Centre while fostering resentment at home has devastated the lives of the people of J&K. This must end. Speak the same truth there as you speak here.” (KNC)
