5 pressure groups demand review of state reservation policy

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 4, 2022

Leaders of the five pressure groups on Thursday demanded the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government to review and revamp the job reservation policy.

“We demand for complete reviewing and revamping of the state reservation policy. It is high time that the state government take a call on the matter,” Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) president Robertjune Kharjahrin told reporters after a meeting with the deputy CM Prestone Tynsong.

He said the HYC along with other four pressure groups – HANM, EJNC, JSM and CORP – also maintained that if the issue could not be settled, it is better to bifurcate the state into two.

“If this could not be settled, we would like to speak very clearly our Achik brothers have demanded for Garoland let them get it, we need to get our own Hynniewtrep land. If this could not be solved it has to go to that extent because what is the point of being together and we are the victims of that.”

Stating that they are not trying to be communal, Kharjahrin said, “It is the truth how a tribe of 15-16 lakhs can have the same percentage with a tribe of only 8-9 lakhs? Is there any logic behind it?”

He alleged that the Khasi-Jaintia people have become victims of the reservation policy because of the roster system which seeks to fill up the backlogs of the past 50 years.

“In every advertisement now, not even 20% we (Khasi-Jaintia) are getting and sometimes they get zero % also. So why should we the indigenous people of our own state be victims of a reservation policy? Therefore, it is high time that a call be taken in this regard,” he said.

Kharjahrin said for the past 50 years, the reservation has benefited only the Garo brothers.

“Therefore after 50 years, the reservation policy needs to be reviewed. (Otherwise) why should we still feel that living together needs to be accepted when that policy is all out against us? Who will see the suffering of our youth because of joblessness? Who will comfort the parents who spend lakhs of money and at the end of the day their children do not get jobs because the reservation policy is biased,” he added.

When asked, Kharjahrin said, “What is the reason behind where a backlog of 50 years will be filled now. Of course a roster is needed…but it is too much to start filling up the backlogs of 50 years because the other group will get nothing which means we have to suffer the entire generation for it, which means our youths will not get enough jobs because of this backlog.”

Appealing to all concerns to make the issue of reservation policy a top priority in the coming election, the HYC chief said that they could no longer see the sufferings of the youth from the “biasness” of the reservation policy.

He said the five pressure groups are ready to give suggestions at any time the government decides to review the reservation policy.

To another query, Kharjahrin however said approaching the court for its intervention would be the last option.

“As I said, going to court is the last option because why should we go to court when we can get the executive whom we elected to do it,” he added.