Jammu's Reservation Row Heats Up: Activist Calls for Calm Amidst Protests

Social activist Parvinder Singh has urgently appealed for calm and dialogue in Jammu, where ongoing protests against recent changes to reservation policies are escalating into community tensions. His call comes amidst widespread discontent, particularly from the upper-caste community, who feel marginalized by amendments that significantly increase the reserved quota in jobs and educational admissions. The current unrest stems from an April 2024 amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, by the Lieutenant Governor-led administration, which expanded the total reserved quota from 43% to 67% – leaving only 33% for the general category. This move has sparked strong reactions, with opposition leaders like Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone criticizing the policy as 'recruitment apartheid' and a calculated strategy to 'disempower' inhabitants of the Kashmir Valley. Previously, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had to roll back guidelines perceived to disadvantage the general category, highlighting the deep-seated sensitivity of the issue. Singh has urged the government to establish a high-powered committee, comprising retired judges and educationists, to objectively review the reservation framework and ensure fair representation for all sections. With a cabinet sub-committee's report on the reservation policy already with the LG, all eyes are on the administration's next steps to address the growing grievances and prevent further social fragmentation in the Union Territory. The outcome will be crucial in balancing constitutional mandates of social justice with demands for equitable opportunities.