Ardent not to withdraw fast till Govt constitutes expert committee to review job reservation policy

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 31, 2023

The opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Wednesday decided not to withdraw the ongoing indefinite hunger strike by its supremo Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit till the state government agrees to constitute an expert committee for reviewing the state’s job reservation policy.

The decision was taken after the VPP had attended a meeting called by the Ampareen Lyngdoh-led committee of all political parties to discuss the issue of job reservation policy at the Main Secretariat.

“We are happy that we are able to convince the government of the need to review the job reservation policy. The committee has taken the decision to write to the state government to constitute an expert committee to review the reservation policy,” Basaiawmoit, who has been fasting for the past 9 days, told the crowd of supporters at the protest venue.

The VPP chief however said, “Until we get an official communication that the government will constitute the expert committee to review the job reservation policy, I will not withdraw my indefinite hunger strike.”

He added this is because the party is not willing to accept the decision of the committee without an official notification on the matter.

“Therefore, the state government should immediately send the official notification constituting the expert committee if it wants us to call off this agitation,” Basaiawmoit said while urging the people to ensure this revolution grows from strength to strength till the job reservation is reviewed.

Earlier after the meeting, VPP general secretary Dr Ricky AJ Syngkon informed that a resolution was adopted by the committee headed by Ampareen Lyngdoh to recommend to the state government to constitute an expert committee for reviewing the job reservation policy.

“So basically, at the end of all discussions that took place in today’s meeting, the VPP has been able to call upon the government through this committee to constitute an expert committee which has been our demand from the very first day,” he said.

Syngkon said that the party is expecting that a notification that the government will constitute an expert committee will come out very soon.

“We are very clear in today’s meeting that until and unless we see that notification from the government that it will constitute the expert committee in black and white our president will continue this indefinite hunger strike,” he added.

When asked, Syngkon said, “It is a resolution taken by this committee to ask the government to constitute an expert committee so the question of us giving in writing does not arise with regards to the constitution of the expert committee by the government.”

According to him, today’s outcome is a partial victory for the party and they expect the government will use its wisdom and come up with the proposed notification at the earliest.