Reserving jobs for Ladakh residents a half-hearted effort, says CPI (M)’s Tarigami

CPI (M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami on Wednesday said that the latest decision to reserve jobs for residents of Ladakh region was another half-hearted attempt of the BJP government as it didn’t even bother to consult two functional hill development councils in the region.

“CPI (M)’s stand on J&K Reorganisation Act-2019, by which the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two union territories of J&K and Ladakh, is that it was unconstitutional, arbitrary and against the interests of the people of the region,” said party leader and former legislator Tarigami.

The party has already challenged the Act in the Supreme Court.

“Article 35-A, which was scrapped by the BJP government along with Article 370 unconstitutionally, was there to protect the land and job rights of residents of all three regions of the erstwhile state. The decision harmed the interests of people of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh equally,” he said in a statement issued here.

There is no clarity in the latest order issued by the Lt governor of Ladakh whether those applying for jobs will have to submit permanent residence certificates, as was the practice prior to 2019, or domicile certificates. Unlike Ladakh, the recruitment rules framed for J&K last year allowed all domiciles, even those who have been living in J&K for more than seven years or studying in the UT up to Class 12, to apply for jobs.

Already a lot of corporate sector companies are working in Ladakh region and limited employment opportunities have been provided to the outsiders through them.

“We once again reiterate that if the BJP government wants to correct its wrongs, it should restore the pre-August 2019 position of J&K. Taking half-hearted measures to appease one region or one community won’t work,” he said.