Garo groups pulls up Pala for `communal’ comment on roster

TURA:

 Shillong  MP and state Congress president Vincent Pala has been criticised and accused of taking sides on the issue of the state roster system with the Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima or ACHIK organisation charging him of speaking on behalf of one community instead of taking all communities of the state together.

Pala, who was recently defeated from his home constituency in Jaintia Hills during the assembly elections, had also joined the debate surrounding the roster system, making a statement about the Meghalaya High Court’s recent order and cautioning against making 1972 the cut-off year.

ACHIK general secretary and advocate Bernita R Marak in a statement to the media said,  “Pala should know better that the roster system is the verdict of the High Court and the press statement of the deputy chief minister on 10^th April affirms that the High Court has remained at the pedestal of 1972 as a cut-off year.”

She pointed out that the verdict was given by the High Court after a fact-finding revealed that the Garos were underrepresented in the job reservation policy for the last 50 years.

“The question of communal tension should not be for personal gain as it is the question of Rights, Equity, and Justice. A.chik community has been a victim for 50 years and commenting words like ‘communal’ against the justice and equity that the High Court has sanctioned, is of a small mind,” charged the garo organisation as it ‘advised’ the Shillong MP to look at the interest of all communities.

“Pala being a leader of one esteemed party cannot speak on behalf of only one community but should have stood for justice of all. The ACHIK organization regrets that a leader of such a high level can droop so low on issues of justice and equity,” added ACHIK.