Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 22: A deputation of the All India Backward Classes Union (AIBCU), led by its Chairman Mohammad Latif Qureshi, met Nasir Aslam Wani, Advisor to the Chief Minister, at Rabat Center Jammu, and submitted memorandums highlighting several public, educational, and social justice concerns affecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The deputation included M R Bangotra, Prof Kali Dass, Om Parkash Bangotra; and other senior leaders of AIBCU.
During the meeting, the delegation demanded immediate reconstitution of the Socially and Economically Backward Classes Commission. With the appointment of its Chairman and members from among the OBC communities.
The deputation further demanded representation of OBCs in the Council of Ministers and called for at least one OBC minister in the present Government. It stated that despite political support from backward class communities, there has been no proper OBC representation in the ministry since Independence.
The AIBCU also objected to reservation being granted on the basis of “areas,” describing it as unconstitutional, illogical, and unique to Jammu and Kashmir. The delegation demanded abolition of area-based reservation and asserted that if any such benefit is to continue, it should be adjusted only on a horizontal basis in accordance with the Supreme Court’s 1992 landmark judgment.
The deputation stated that at present SC, ST, and OBC communities together receive only 26 percent reservation, while 74 percent benefits go to the general category, and reiterated the long pending demand for 27 percent reservation for OBCs in line with the Mandal framework.
Another serious concern raised was the ongoing online enumeration process, in which separate columns exist for SC and ST categories but no dedicated column has been provided for OBCs. The deputation urged the Government to immediately provide a separate OBC column instead of placing these communities under the vague category of “Others,” which makes proper identification impossible.
During the meeting, the delegation also urged the Government to reduce the entry fee at Bagh-e-Bahu and other tourist gardens from Rs 50 to Rs. 20 and proposed a five-day teaching schedule in educational institutions and assessment on the sixth day through proper testing and record-keeping.
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