Sajad Lone Warns Proposed Reservation Changes Threaten Kashmiri Rights | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jammu Kashmir Peoples Conference Chairman and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone on Monday issued a sharp response to reports suggesting potential changes to the Union Territory’s reservation framework, warning that Kashmiri-speaking populations could face significant disadvantages.

Lone said he was unsure whether to trust the Indian Express report on the matter but noted that the very concerns he raised in July now appeared to be materialising. He asserted that any changes to the Reserved Backward Area (RBA) category—previously untouched even during the BJP’s tenure—would undermine a critical form of relief for Kashmiris.

Accusing the National Conference of reverting to its “old ways,” Lone described the party as historically acting as intermediaries between Delhi and Srinagar. He dismissed legal arguments justifying the changes, arguing that political unwillingness, rather than legal impossibility, prevented fair implementation of reservations.

Lone demanded transparency regarding the government’s rationale, questioning the sources, research, and decision-making behind the proposed alterations. He warned that the administration’s actions risked deepening instability in Jammu and Kashmir, calling it an “existential threat to Kashmiris.”

Reiterating his longstanding stance, Lone urged the restoration of district-level recruitment for non-gazetted posts and divisional recruitment for gazetted posts, emphasising that these measures remain the only credible safeguards for fairness in the UT’s employment framework.