Tura: The Central Executive Committee of the Garo Students Union on Monday said that the continued discussion of the roster system should not be a politics of shenanigans to intrude upon the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy, 1972.
“The GSU wishes to express that any intrusion upon the Job Reservation Policy (JRP) will be taken very seriously by the people of Garo Hills. The matter, we believe, as of now is about the implementation of the roster system adopted by the Meghalaya Govt. as per court orders in April 2022. The discussion on the roster system regarding the “retrospective” and “prospective” nature of the implementation of the roster system is fair to be discussed but it must not be an implicated platform to denature the wisdom of the founding fathers of Meghalaya by any attempt to dilute the Meghalaya Reservation Policy, 1972. GSU appreciates the implementation of the roster system,” its president Tengsak G Momin said.
Momin pointed out that it is not only an accepted fact but a reality that the Garos and other indigenous tribes and people of Garo Hills lack quality education due to a dearth of quality educational institutions as even the Engineering College and the Medical College are yet to function and construction phases remain in limbo as other model schools and college.
This has a profound impact on the ability of the candidates of the region to successfully compete with the other brethren of the state and hence Meghalaya Reservation Policy, 1972 is a necessity that must be sanguinely preserved for the equal benefits of the educationally disadvantaged communities of the state, he added.
Lauding the Meghalaya Government for its realisation that Garos and other tribes have indeed faced disadvantages by the recruitment system, the union welcomed the HC’s view that a roster system is necessary to adhere to the letter and spirit of the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy, 1972.
“We have however noted the clause No. 1.2 in the reservation policy, 1972 that ‘the deficiency will be carried forward to the next recruitment year and made good in the recruitment of that year provided that the reservation on account of the deficiency shall not be carried forward for more than one year. After the expiry of the second year, these reservations shall be treated as lapsed…’ But it is because of the absence of the roster system that these clauses have been trampled upon year after year,” Momin said.
Momin added that in 2007 the discrepancy arising out of the absence of the roster system was more than 500 backlogs on a rough calculation, which at present would have multiplied. However, he said that there is a justification for the need for the roster system as so many people have been deprived.
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Momin also did not agree to the idea made by VPP that JRP must be based on population demographics and vehemently opposed the notion as other factors like lack of education quality, quality educational institutions, etc are enough to be understood by all as a disadvantage.
“Let us be on par in every aspect as brethren or let us either discuss the possibility of winter capital or separate state if only one of our existing rights to equal sharing of opportunities is hindered. We stand no chance without the JRP for equal representation,” Momin said.
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