Reservation benefits should reach all: Omar

It will be an "injustice" if the advantages of reservation do not percolate to all the intended beneficiaries and are reaped only by a few who are affluent, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said today.
"This reservation is not for rich people who anyway teach their children in big schools," he said while addressing a packed house at the National Conference (NC) headquarters here on the 122nd Birth Anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar.
"This is complete injustice with you (people of the reserved category) if the benefits of reservation meant for you are availed by those whose children are enrolled in big schools and who are getting number of opportunities," he said.

Omar said if the advantages of reservation do not reach all the sections of the community, then its aim would be defeated.
"If only a few benefit out of reservation and in general there is no progress, then I think it is injustice with you (people of the reserved category). Not only it is cheating with you, but with all those people who fought for these rights," he said.
However, people cannot gather the benefits of reservation until they are educated.
"We have people who have utilised the opportunities provided to them under the Constitution and have achieved something for themselves and for their community. But, there are so many people who despite the reservation have not reaped its benefits and it needs to be corrected.

"But, it cannot be corrected until all the people of our society who need to get the benefits of reservation are educated. Until then, they won't be able to reap the benefits of reservation in (the) true sense," he said.