Srinagar, May 28 (KNS): People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone has called for a comprehensive review of the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir, terming the government’s latest move to set up a committee on the issue as a routine, ineffective measure lacking both clarity and resolve.

In a detailed post on social media platform X, Lone voiced serious concerns over the government’s approach, alleging that reservations in J&K have been reduced to a tool of electoral arithmetic rather than an instrument of genuine social empowerment.

“The government neither has the capacity to grasp the complexities of reservation nor the courage to take a principled stand. For them, it is more about vote bank politics than merit or social justice,” Lone remarked.

He argued that while reservations remain an important social instrument, excessive quotas risk undermining meritocracy, stifling intellectual growth, and fostering mediocrity in critical sectors of society.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelCiting global examples, Lone asserted that nations that prioritized talent and merit achieved lasting progress, and warned against using reservations as a political or retributive tool in the region.

In his remarks, Lone also criticized successive governments for what he described as complicity in expanding reservations without objective evaluation. He stressed the need for rationalisation, stating that addressing the issue requires both a clear understanding of its social and political implications and the will to confront vested interests.

“The problem of reservations in J&K is far deeper than mere numbers. It’s a long-term threat to societal balance and meritocracy. Societal resets imposed from above have failed globally, and will do so here as well,” he cautioned.

Lone concluded by urging for a serious, objective, and inclusive debate on the subject, driven by long-term societal interest rather than short-term political gains.(KNS)