SHILLONG:
The Opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, on May 26, maintained that the party will withdraw the indefinite hunger strike only if the government is ready to review the 1972 job reservation policy.
The stand was made clear before the cabinet minister and MDA government spokesperson Ampareen Lyngdoh, who went to see Basaiawmoit at the protest venue and requested him to withdraw his agitation and come forward to the negotiating table to discuss the issue.
Basaiawmoit, who has been fasting for the past four days however told Lyngdoh “We will withdraw if the government is ready to review the job reservation policy and we are also ready to sit across the table if the agenda is on the reservation policy”.
Lyngdoh also refused to argue with the VPP chief and said, “I have come here to tell you that I am worried as it is not good for the state, not good for all of us. Therefore, let us meet across the table and let us talk.”
She also requested the Nongkrem legislator to take care of his health.
Later speaking to media persons, Basaiawmoit said the government should have sent an official letter asking the party to call off this agitation and the request must have a proper ground.
“If the government just asks us to call off and come to the negotiating table, that is not acceptable as our stand is very clear right from day one that we will continue our indefinite hunger strike until the government agrees to review the present job reservation policy,” he added.
Basaiawmoit also reiterated, “If the government is still adamant, we will continue with our indefinite hunger strike. I have said we will not leave this place until the government decides to review the present job reservation policy.”
According to him, the party has also made it very clear that the ratio in terms of the reservation should be proportionate as per the population structure of the state.
Slamming Lyngdoh for being ill-informed when she said that government is yet to receive any proposal from the VPP on the matter, the Nongkrem MLA said, “I had raise this issue on the floor of the House by submitting a motion on the issue where we need to discuss to put on hold the roster system until the government review the present job reservation policy. The party has written a letter to the government asking it to put on hold all recruitment processes and to review the present job reservation policy. In the all-party meeting, the party leaders had attended and participated in the meeting and made it very clear that the party will not continue to be part in that committee if the government is not willing to discuss the reservation policy. So where is the question that the party is not communicating to the government on this issue?”
“She is a minister who has been tasked with the responsibility to head that committee on roster so we don’t have anything to suggest to the government on roster. We know what is roster is all about. Our demand is to review the reservation policy and it is very clear right from day one,” he added.
When asked, Basaiawmoit said, “Inside the House, I had stressed that the government may constitute an expert committee to deal with this issue. As we have made it very clear that this policy should have been proportionate as far as the ratio of this policy is concerned, it is for the government to decide.”
Referring to the statement made by the NPP leader and Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma, Basaiawmoit asked if the minister was talking as a tribal or a plain’s man.
“You see India is a country of unity and diversity and the situation in the context of the NE tribal is not like that ultimately so which is why we have special provisions in the Constitution of India which means some laws that are applicable in the plains may not be applicable in the NE part being the tribal dominated states. So I don’t know in which context he is saying but to say or conclude that this is going to be against the Supreme Court ruling is unfounded,” he added.