NONGPOH:
Congress MLA from Umsning Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh, on June 6, questioned whether the Voice of the People Party (VPP) demand for a review of the State Reservation Policy will benefit the Khasi and Jaintia communities or cost them.
He said this while addressing a crowd at a public meeting held at Umsning yesterday to clarify his stand on the controversial quota policy.
Welcoming the government’s decision to constitute an Expert Committee to review and study the Reservation Policy, Lyngdoh said that this is a vital issue which requires intensive study and assessment rather than inciting the crowd and holding hunger strikes.
Calling the VPP leaders “restless”, the Congress leader said the agitated VPP leaders have been demanding a review of the policy but, till date, they have not come clear on the basis of their demand.
“Will it be beneficial for the Khasis and Jaintias or will it be a devastating one?” he asked..
He further stated that the hunger strike staged by VPP president Ardent M. Basawiamoit, demanding a review of the Reservation Policy was a crowd puller.
It, however, was bereft of clarity. “On what ground was the demand made?” he asked, further questioning whether they mean all the three tribes must compete for the 80 per cent as one category or more quota for the Khasi-Jaintia tribes.
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Cautioning the public, Lyngdoh asked, “What if the Court intervenes and directs that these tribes must share the 60 per cent while the remaining 40 will go to the unreserved?”
“The Expert Committee constituted by the state government cannot bypass the Mandal Commission Reports pertaining to the High Court and Supreme Court where it was clearly mentioned that no tribes can get more than 50 per cent reservation, “but in Meghalaya, the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes are allotted 80 per cent,” he said.
He also underlined that soon after the VPP unleashed its agitation, the Rajabala MLA Dr. Azad Zaman has started demanding for a fair share for the Unreserved Category.
He said this is sensitive issue that can create misunderstanding between different communities of this vibrant state, if not handled with utmost care and understanding.