Student stir looming, spate of house detentions in Kashmir — from NC’s Ruhullah to PDP’s Para

Open merit students announced a sit-in Sunday at Polo View in Srinagar to protest the delay in the rationalisation of reservations.

“Armed police have been deployed outside the residence of Hon’ble MP @RuhullahMehdi,” Mehdi’s office has posted on X, along with pictures of police vehicles deployed outside his residence.

“Is this a pre-emptive crackdown to silence a peaceful, pro-student demonstration? If yes, it exposes a disturbing fear of dissent. The authorities owe the public an explanation on what this deployment is for. Our plans for tomorrow (Sunday) stand”.

PDP’s Para, who aligns with NC’s Ruhullah, has been vocal for the rights of open merit students, and has also been put under house arrest.

“In the middle of the night, @parawahid has been put under house arrest. Why is a peaceful protest for students’ rights being weaponised?,” the PDP said in a post on X.

Over the last year, the open merit students, who form the bulk of the population, have been demanding rationalisation of reservations in Jammu and Kashmir. Under the current reservation policy, less than 40 per cent have been kept for open merit candidates, while over 60 per cent are reserved for different reserved categories.

Both the NC and the PDP had promised rationalisation in their election manifestos.

After pressure from the open merit students and its own parliament member Ruhullah, the NC formed a cabinet sub-committee to look into the issue. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that the cabinet has approved the recommendations of the sub-committee and the file has been sent to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.

Cabinet recommendations

As already reported by The Indian Express, the Cabinet sub-committee has recommended 50 per cent seats each for the open merit and reserved categories. While the cabinet has left most of the reserved quota untouched, it has recommended slashing of seats under the Residents of Backward Areas (RBA) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and shifting them to the open merit quota.

Last year, Ruhullah sat in a sit-in protest with the students, reminding the government of its election promises. Two days ago, he said that he had not forgotten the issue.

“I have neither forgotten nor left the students alone. I urge the government once again to talk to the students and apprise them of the measures and decisions taken to resolve this issue,” Ruhullah said. “If that does not happen till Saturday, I will not leave our youth and students helpless. I will walk with them and sit with them on this coming Sunday at the same place as we did the last year on 23rd December to make them heard”.

Calling the reservation policy an “existential issue” for the younger generations, PDP’s Para had said that government has shown zero intent to resolve it.

“This sit-in is a reminder to the government of its obligation to act with transparency & revamp the existing draconian reservation policy,” Para said.

“At the very least, the reservation report must be placed in the public domain. Further, if the elected government maintains that the matter presently rests with the Lieutenant Governor, there can still be no justification for withholding the report from public scrutiny. The responsibility, wherever it may lie must be acknowledged & institutions including the office of CM & LG cannot be insulated from public accountability.”

The police have also detained several youth leaders spearheading the protests for the rationalisation of reservations.