SRINAGAR, MAY 28: People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone has called for a thorough re-evaluation of the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir, criticising the government’s recent decision to form a committee on the issue as a routine, ineffectual move lacking both clarity and intent.
In a detailed post on the social media platform X, Lone expressed strong reservations about the government’s handling of the matter, alleging that the reservation system in J&K has been reduced to a tool for electoral advantage rather than a means of genuine social upliftment. “The government lacks both the insight to understand the intricacies of reservation and the courage to take a principled stand. For them, it’s more about securing votes than ensuring merit or justice,” Lone stated.
While acknowledging that reservations are an important mechanism for social support, he warned that excessive reliance on quotas could erode meritocracy, hinder intellectual advancement, and promote mediocrity in crucial sectors. Drawing parallels from international experiences, Lone argued that societies that invested in merit and talent saw enduring progress. He cautioned against using reservations as a political instrument or a form of retribution.
Lone also criticised successive governments for expanding reservation policies without objective assessment, calling for rationalisation. He stressed that addressing the issue requires not only a nuanced understanding of its social and political dimensions but also the resolve to confront entrenched interests. “The problem with reservations in J&K goes beyond numbers. It poses a long-term challenge to societal balance and meritocracy. Top-down social engineering has failed globally and is unlikely to succeed here,” he warned.