VPP threatens to intensify stir if Govt delays review of reservation policy

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 17, 2023

The Voice of the People Party (VPP) led by its four MLAs on Wednesday staged a sit-in-demonstration to protest against failure of the state government to put on hold the recruitment process.

The party has also threatened to intensify its agitations if there is no positive outcome in the upcoming All-party meeting convened by the state government on May 19.

Speaking to reporters after the protest, VPP president Ardent M Basaiawmoit said that the party has urged the people to come out and assemble in large numbers here in this protest venue on May 19, to ensure the reservation policy is immediately reviewed.

“As a party, we feel it would be proper for us to assemble again at this place (protest venue) on the day when the government decides to hold an all-party meeting because we want the outcome of that meeting should be to review the reservation policy. That is our stand, that is our demand because the problem that the unemployed youth of the state are facing originated from the reservation policy,” he said. 

When asked, Basaiawmoit said, “The statistics indicated that the Khasi community is always higher than the Garo community by 15% average. Therefore, we feel that this policy is not proportionate and it should have been done proportionately so that we will have a policy which is just and fair. We don’t want to take the rights of our Garo brothers and sisters nor do we want to sacrifice our own rights.”

He said with the coming of this roster system, it further aggravates the situation and the problems faced by the unemployed youths

The Nongkrem legislator said that going by population, the percentage of reservation should be more for the Khasis.

“Supposed if the population of the Khasis is 47 so how can you reserve only 40 only and if the population of the Garos is 32 how can you reserve 40 for them. They are getting more by 7-8 percent and we are getting less by 7-8 percent. Therefore, we feel that this policy is not right,” he said.