NC govt marginalizing Kashmiri Muslims with backward area quota reduction: PDP leader Para
Srinagar: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Waheed Para, has strongly condemned the National Conference-led government in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) for its controversial decision to slash the Residents of Backward Area (RBA) quota, calling it a calculated attempt to undermine the empowerment and representation of the Kashmiri Muslim population, particularly those from backward areas.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Para criticized the cabinet sub-committee’s decision to reduce the RBA quota under the guise of “rationalization,” describing it as a deliberate move aimed at disempowering the people of IIOJK. “Kashmiris gave Omar Abdullah a historic mandate to defend their rights — yet he stands with the most anti-Kashmiri decision in decades. The new reservation matrix is a political project to dilute Kashmiri representation. We seek the immediate release of the sub-cabinet committee report,” he said in a post on X.
He emphasized that this decision directly affects a quota that has historically safeguarded the rights and ensured adequate representation for the people of IIOJK in administrative and educational sectors.
Para further stated that this move undermines an essential safeguard designed to ensure fair representation for residents of backward and remote areas of the Valley. He argued that the reduction in the RBA quota would disproportionately affect those already struggling to access opportunities in the territory.
He also criticized the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, for failing to defend the cause of equity for the people of IIOJK. According to Para, instead of standing up for the interests of the local population, Omar Abdullah has been advancing a disempowerment agenda, further marginalizing the people of IIOJK.
Political analysts have also expressed concerns over the decision, suggesting that the NC-led government’s move is part of a broader trend of deepening marginalization of Kashmiris. They attribute this to Omar Abdullah’s failure to challenge the policies of the Indian occupying regime, portraying him as too weak to resist the ongoing erosion of Kashmiri rights and autonomy.
