The Meghalaya Indigenous Minority Tribes’ Forum (MIMTF) has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma urging the Government to review the Job reservation policy and demanded a 15 percent reservation quota for them.
The MIMTF is a newly formed body comprising representatives from the Rabha, Boro, Hajong, Koch and Mann tribes, which was constituted on May 29 to take up the issue and seek the community’s inclusion in the panel discussion.
Signed by the representatives of these five minority tribes from Garo Hills, the memorandum says, “We would earnestly request you to kindly consider and give 15% quota, as and when the existing Reservation Policy is reviewed, to the Indigenous Minority Tribes of Meghalaya specifically for- Hajongs, Koches, Rabhas, Boro-Kacharies and Manns and give them a scope to grow and come at par with the Khasis, Garos and Jaintias.”
“ If considered, we feel, this will compensate for the loss that they have suffered during the last 51 years in respect of service (Government Jobs) in particular and in other aspects like-education, economy etc,” it said.
Stating that they are the ‘Bonafide’ Citizens of Meghalaya, the Memorandum said like – Khasis, Garos and Jaintias they are also “Indigenous Tribes.
Further, they also mentioned that Karbis’/’Marngars’ (Dimasa) living in Ri-Bhoi district are also the indigenous Tribes of the state.
In the memorandum, they also said that in the existing Government Job Reservation Policy while minority tribute gets only 5 percent reservations in which some of the tribes from outside the state also finds their place.
“In the existing Government Job Reservation Policy, which is -40% for Khasis and Jaintias, 40% for Garos, 15% for General and 5% for O.T. (Minority Tribe) and Scheduled Caste, although literally our quota is 5% but practically it is only 2% if not less for, we have to share it with the Scheduled Caste and even with other Tribes outside the state like Naga, Mizo etc,” Memorandum said.
The memorandum was signed by the Meghalaya Hajong Welfare Association, Meghalaya Rabha Jatio Sewa Sangha (MRJSS), Meghalaya Koch Association, Meghalaya Boro Sahitya Sabha and All Mann Tai Speaking Welfare Association.