Srinagar, Feb 5: JK Peoples Conference (JKPC) Chairman and MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone, on Thursday highlighted issues related to the underrepresentation of Kashmiris in government jobs and voiced concerns over delays in addressing reservation and statehood matters during the motion of thanks on the LG’s address in the Legislative Assembly.
Lone said that the address of the J&K Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha in the Legislative Assembly was an “unemotional bureaucratic document” which did not “make anyone happy except LG.”
Speaking during the motion of thanks on the J&K Lieutenant Governor’s (LG) address in the Legislative Assembly, Sajad Lone said there was no mention of restoration of Statehood and Article 370 in the address.
“It seems that we live in a fairytale world, and in that fairytale world, everybody lived happily ever after. Nobody had any problems,” Sajad Lone said.
“Is it a luxury for people of J&K to express pain?” he asked.
He took a dig at NC Legislators for nor speaking about it inside the House and instead went out to protest for the same.
He asked the J&K Assembly Speaker that Pondicherry passed a resolution 15 times but the J&K Assembly did not pass it even once.
“We haven’t taken statehood even once. You don’t let us speak. And, when it comes to the law, was it legal to take statehood? Was it legal to take 370 when we were all locked up in jail,” he asked.
He said the people of India must understand the pain that we are undergoing.
Speaking on the reservation, Sajad Lone said that we are about 60% of the population. “We are between 25–30% in jobs. And it is not that we are less intelligent. We are behind in open merit. When it comes to reservations, we are at 30%. Now this is a big issue. The young people don’t see anything other than darkness,” he said.
He said the whole thing went wrong during the regime of the present government and “now, we want a resolution.”
“This resolution is simple. When will 60% become 60%? The Cabinet Subcommittee, let me tell you clearly, the 10% that you think will increase, that will translate and percolate into 2%. Your shortfall is close to 35%, compared to your population,” he said.
He said that Kashmiri are sent to jail, slapped PSA and get a negative police verification from Police. “And now you don’t even want to give him a job, where will he go?” he asked.
He said that wherever Kashmiris go, a narrative is spread against him throughout the country.
“But when terrorists have to fight, the Kashmiri Muslims are there. Look at the details of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. 90% of those who have sacrificed their lives are Kashmiri Muslims. And yet, you otherize them,” he said.
He said that the reservation injustice will become the biggest event in the coming days. “It may trigger a crisis which is bigger than 1987,” he said.
