SRINAGAR: The decision by the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet to refer the contentious Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) report on reservation to the Law Department for review has ignited a fresh political debate, with opposition leaders sharply criticizing the move as “deliberate delay tactic and a disregard for merit.”
The CSC report, which was formulated in response to widespread protests from open-merit students against the existing reservation policy, was discussed in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday. However, instead of a final decision, it has been sent for legal examination, particularly concerning its constitutional and statutory validity, given that changes to reservation policies often involve complex legal implications. No specific timeline has been set for the Law Department’s review, further fueling public frustration.
Sajad Lone, the People’s Conference chief, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his dismay, stating, “I have all along maintained that the government is clueless on reservations and has no intentions of doing anything. Now coming to this draft proposal. To the best of my knowledge anything sent to cabinet should be vetted by the law department. It is not the other way round. You can’t send something to cabinet which is outside the domain of law. It looks like another round of time wasting tactics.”
Altaf Bukhari in an ‘X’ post wrote, “Set a clear timeline to resolve the reservation issue. With each passing day, merit continues to get undermined. Government must act swiftly and avoid any delaying tactics.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Wahid Para of the PDP, in a post on X, accused the government of a deliberate stall. “The sub-cabinet committee exists to stall the govt’s stand on merit, giving courts time to kill it while J&K’s Social Welfare Dept clearly defended reservations over merit in court. Those claiming committee is helping students are either lying or complicit. Unfortunate how some students who indulged in this false process sold out merit for petty favors,” Para wrote.
In an another tweet, Parra wrote exhaustively, “Six months ago, the J&K government promised to resolve the Reservation issue through a subcommittee report. That deadline has passed, leaving thousands of students heartbroken and disillusioned, their trust in the system shattered and their futures put on hold.
This is a deliberate denial of justice. These students have already endured violence, lockdowns, and lost opportunities. Now, as they seek fair representation and rationalised reservation, the government is pushing them further to the margins.”
“The NC government has the power to strike down the BJP-imposed policy with a single administrative order. But the party that promised to reverse BJP’s damage is now complicit in continuing it. If this is their response to a pressing youth issue well within their control to solve, then what should we expect on Article 370, statehood, or the Wakf Amendment Bill which requires them to speak truth to power?
Erasing merit in Kashmir is not just a political issue but also a national security concern, given that J&K is a border state where the youth are vulnerable to militancy, radicalism, and cross-border influences. If the Kashmiri youth are not offered hope, it will only empower subversive elements, further destabilizing a generation and future. The government’s inaction risks pushing these young people into a corner, forcing them to choose between studying and preparing to face the world or fighting against a system that has failed them.”
“The government must act now, with the urgency this issue demands. It cannot continue to hide behind excuses while the students’ futures hang in the balance. Rationalisation of reservation and proportional representation represent the only fair path forward, and it must be implemented without further delay.”
“We stand with our students without affiliations and unions, feeling their pain, sharing their concern. Their struggle is genuine, and we will fight alongside them until justice is served,” the post read.
Adding to the chorus of criticism, Iltija Mufti, in a reply to a post on X, lamented the ongoing delays. “Tareekh par tareekh. From broken poll promises to sub committee to cabinet meeting to law department. The future of OM students is being treated like a football thrown from one end to another. Every delay is wilful, deliberate & criminal,” she stated, emphasizing the prolonged uncertainty faced by open merit (OM) students and accusing the government of willful neglect.
The decision to refer the report to the Law Department, without a clear timeframe for its return, suggests that a final resolution on the highly sensitive reservation policy may be further delayed, prolonging the political and social unrest in the region.
