Rayees Shah
The PDP leader and district president Ganderbal Bashir Ahmad Mir has filed an objection over reserving of Kangan constituency in Ganderbal to ST.
He urged the delimitation commission to overturn the decision as more than 60 percent population in the constituency belongs to the general category.
The points which he has mentioned in his objection include that,”I am the representative of the Kangan Assembly segment and had earlier contested the Assembly election 2014 on PDP ticket, the pursuant to the exercise of Delimitation Commission, the Commission submitted its interim report on 14th March 2022, whereby the various seats were reserved for SC/ ST Community which includes Kangan Assembly segment as well, being representative of the aforementioned Assembly segment seeks on the behalf of people of Kangan Constituency to reconsider the matter on the ground that the entire Kangan has a majority which is Non-ST Population as such the entire majority will have no representation in eventuality, if the decision will not be overlooked it will be unjust if the said area will be reserved as ST seat as the same will tie the Kangan Assembly seat with a representative only from ST, which is clear discrimination with the majority population that is Non- ST.”
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, he said that only 37% population of schedule tribe & other OBC community are residing in Kangan constituency and 63% General category as per census 2011, the topography of entire territory of Kangan assembly segment is same for all communities either it is General category, STS, SCs, or OBCs and as per Fresh Delimitation, percentage of General category population is still larger than STS, SCs & OBCs.
“Since the announcement of the reservation of Kangan assembly constituency, a wedge has developed between different communities residing in the same area, eeven local leaders of ST community and OBC Community also voicing against this reservation and declaring this move as utter discrimination with general category population and the said decision was neither reasonable nor based on any rationale rather it is a decision whereby the wills and aspirations of majority will have no value as the same will not be decisive and the minority will have the exclusive right to elect the representative for the entire constituency,” he said.
:I submit that the said decision may be overlooked and overturned as the same is detrimental, prejudicial and undemocratic, “he added.