‘This Is Political Erasure’: Waheed Parra Slams Move to End RBA Category in Jammu & Kashmir

A major political storm is brewing in Jammu and Kashmir as senior leader of Peoples Democratic Party and Pulwama MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra has launched a fierce attack on the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (NC)-led government, accusing it of “political erasure.”

The criticism follows the administration’s decision to revise or potentially eliminate the Reservation for Residents of Backward Areas (RBA) category — a move that, according to Parra and many civil society groups, threatens the representational rights of rural and marginalized Kashmiris.

What Is the RBA Category?

The RBA (Residents of Backward Areas) quota is one of the oldest affirmative action mechanisms in J&K’s reservation matrix.

• Purpose: To uplift and empower communities living in remote and underdeveloped regions of Jammu and Kashmir.

• Impact: For decades, this quota has enabled access to education, government jobs, and administrative participation for communities historically excluded from mainstream development.

• Geographic Scope: A significant number of RBA beneficiaries come from rural belts of South and North Kashmir, particularly Pulwama, Kupwara, Bandipora, and Kulgam.

Parra argues that ending or reducing RBA protections would strike at the heart of rural representation, further centralizing power in urban and elite pockets.

Waheed Parra’s Sharp Statement

“The recently approved reservation matrix is not about rationalisation. It is a political project aimed at diluting Kashmiri representation under the guise of administrative reforms,” Parra said at a press briefing in Pulwama.
“This is not just about numbers on paper — this is about our people’s visibility, access, and dignity in the system.”

Parra accused the Omar Abdullah government of:

• Undermining constitutional safeguards that protected marginalized rural Kashmiris.

• Weakening regional equity at a time when the Valley is already struggling with political disenfranchisement.

• Betraying the 2024 mandate, in which the National Conference had promised to “protect and expand” such safeguards.

He framed the issue as an assault on the social contract that had long underpinned governance in the post-Article 370 era.

Why the RBA Quota Matters

01. A Historical Bridge for Rural Kashmir

For thousands of families in remote Kashmir, RBA meant a pathway to education and employment. In a region marked by geographical disadvantage, this policy became a leveling tool — allowing children from mountainous villages to compete with urban Srinagar students on a more equitable basis.

02. Socio-Economic Impact

RBA beneficiaries include first-generation college students, government employees, and community leaders who have transformed local economies. Reducing or removing this quota risks deepening rural-urban disparities in Kashmir’s fragile development matrix.

03. Political Representation

Unlike purely economic programs, RBA also has a representational dimension. It ensures voices from underdeveloped areas are heard in administrative structures, making governance more balanced.

The Omar Government’s Justification (and Silence)

While the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference government has not issued a detailed white paper, sources within the Secretariat say the revision is part of a “larger rationalisation process” to align J&K’s reservation system with national frameworks post-Union Territory reorganisation.

Officials have hinted at:

• “Reducing overlapping categories”

• “Streamlining quotas for better implementation”

• “Ensuring parity with national norms”

However, no comprehensive consultation with stakeholders has taken place yet — a move that critics, including Parra, call “unilateral and politically motivated.”

Political Fallout: A Brewing Confrontation

• PDP: Demanding immediate rollback and structured public consultation.

• Apni Party: Called for “clarity and transparency” but refrained from taking a hard stance.

• Bharatiya Janata Party: Welcomed the rationalisation move, calling it “long overdue.”

• Civil Society: Student unions, NGOs, and teacher associations have condemned the decision, warning of “massive social exclusion” if RBA is dismantled.

A PDP spokesperson told this reporter:

“Ending RBA is not administrative reform — it is political engineering that will disempower rural Kashmiris for generations.”

Voices from the Ground

• Nighat Jan, a student from Kupwara:
  “I got into medical college through the RBA quota. Without it, I would have never made it. This is not privilege — this is justice.”

• Bashir Ahmad, a retired schoolteacher from Kulgam:
  “The government calls it rationalisation. We call it erasure. This will make the poor poorer and silence their voices in jobs and education.”

• Student Union Representative, Pulwama:
  “If they can change this without asking us, tomorrow they can change anything.”

The anger on the ground reflects a deeper anxiety — that Kashmir’s affirmative action architecture is being dismantled piece by piece.

Legal and Constitutional Questions

Legal experts point out that reservation categories like RBA have a special historical context in J&K, tied to its pre- and post-Article 370 constitutional frameworks.

Any abrupt revision raises several questions:

• Does the Union Territory framework override historic affirmative action laws?

• Can the state government legally alter or dilute RBA without legislative debate?

• What recourse do affected communities have to challenge such a move?

These questions could eventually end up in court, setting a precedent for how regional affirmative action is treated under UT governance.

The Political Stakes for Omar Abdullah

For Omar Abdullah, this decision comes at a sensitive moment:

• He faces mounting public pressure to deliver on statehood restoration.

• His government is already under fire for unfulfilled manifesto promises.

• Rajya Sabha negotiations are underway, where PDP support could be critical.

Parra’s frontal attack, therefore, is not just about policy — it’s a strategic political challenge to Omar’s image as a defender of Kashmiri rights.

A senior analyst put it succinctly:

“If Omar backtracks, he looks weak. If he pushes forward, he risks alienating a core rural base that helped NC return to power.”

Historical Context: RBA as a Tool of Balance

For decades, RBA acted as a stabilizer in Kashmir’s social contract. Its rollback, many argue, would undo decades of incremental equity.

Editorial Reflection — More Than a Policy Change

What’s happening with RBA is not just administrative tinkering — it’s a political and social reckoning.

It raises fundamental questions:

• Who gets to define “representation” in a post-Article 370 Kashmir?

• Can a policy rooted in regional specificity survive national standardization?

• And most importantly, whose voices are being sidelined in the name of rationalisation?

Waheed Parra’s warning — “this is political erasure” — may resonate far beyond Pulwama. It strikes at the core of Kashmir’s rural identity, where policy and politics have always been inseparable.

Closing Line

“We will not let the RBA be buried silently,” Parra vowed. “This is not just a quota. This is our history, our identity, and our right.”

With protests brewing, legal petitions likely, and political equations shifting, the RBA reservation issue could become the next defining battle in Jammu and Kashmir’s post-Article 370 political landscape.