The Garo Students’ Union (GSU) on Monday said the continued discussion of the roster system and its present turmoil on the matter should not be a politics of shenanigan to intrude upon the state job reservation policy, 1972.
It also warned that any intrusion upon the job reservation policy will be taken very seriously by the people of Garo Hills.
In a statement, GSU president Tengsak Gabil Momin said the discussion on the roster system regarding the “retrospective” and “prospective” nature of implementation of the roster system is fair to be discussed upon 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.
Appreciating the implementation of the roster system, Momin said, “It is not only an accepted fact but a gross reality that Garos and other indigenous tribes and peoples of Garo Hills lack the quality education due to lack of quality educational institutions since even the engineering college and the medical college is yet to function and remains in limbo in the construction phases as are other model schools and college.”
“This has a profound impact on the ability of the candidates of this region to successfully compete with the other brethrens of the state and hence Meghalaya Reservation Policy, 1972 is a necessity which must be sanguinely preserved for the equal benefits of the educationally disadvantaged communities of the state,” he added.
Momin said the union also lauded the Meghalaya Government for its realization that Garos and other tribes have indeed been disadvantaged by the recruitment system and welcomes the Meghalaya High Court’s decision that indeed a roster system is necessary to adhere to the letter and spirit of the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy, 1972 but has duly 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…”
According to him, it is because of the absence of the roster system that these clauses have been trampled upon year after year.
He informed that in the year 2007, GSU found out that the discrepancy arising out of the absence of the roster system was found to have more than 500 backlogs on rough calculation now it will be much more.
Realistically, the filling up of these backlogs is indeed a gargantuan task but there is justification of the need for roster system as so many of our people have been deprived but must be duly noted that other brethren of the state must not be deprived of the opportunity as laid down.
Meanwhile, Momin said the GSU does not condone the idea made by Voice of the People Party (VPP) that state reservation policy must be based on population demographics must be the basis for sharing of the recruitment opportunity and vehemently opposes this perceived notion to be true as other factors like lack of quality education, quality educational institutions etc is ubiquitous enough to be understood by all as our disadvantage.
“Let us be on par in every aspect as brethrens 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,” the GSU president stated.