Meghalaya: VPP submits suggestions before panel on reservation policy

A Correspondent

Shillong: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Saturday stated that the State Reservation Policy should be based on the population of 1971 as the base year to determine reservation. This submission was made on Saturday before the members of the Expert Committee on the State Reservation Policy.

“This year (1971) really reflects the population of the state during that time. If you take the census of other years, there are other factors which may determine the population like birth rate and migration,” VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said.

According to Myrboh, the VPP also submitted its opposition, made by certain quarters, before the Expert Committee that reservation should not be based on population.

The VPP spokesperson also said that in 1950s, when the job reservation was brought at the all India level, 12.5 percent was reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and 5 percent for Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Later after the 1961 census, it was found out that there are 15 percent SC in the country and therefore their reservation was raised to 15 percent and for the ST too, the reservation for this category was raised to 7.5 percent. “Therefore to suggest that reservation should not be based on population is totally wrong,” he said.

Myrboh pointed out that in the country the ST are more backward than the Other Backward Class (OBCs), but according to him despite this, the centre cannot earmark more percentage in job reservation to the STs, since its population is lesser.

On arguments from certain groups that Garo Hills since its backwardness in literacy and other factors, the VPP spokesperson pointed out that there is no scientific studies done in the state to compare one tribe with the other on areas like development.

Regarding geographical backwardness, he stated that the Jaintia Hills region lags behind in many ways and questioned what should be done about it. At the same time, he pointed out that the somewhat cosmopolitan Khasi Hills region is further advanced.

“It is in no way scientific to compare geographical growth and make a strong connection with the advancement or lack thereof, or the backwardness, of a specific group. Therefore we are saying this argument has no basis,” Myrboh said. Saturday was the last day of public hearing, which went underway in Shillong here on Thursday.

The committee will now move to holding public hearing in Tura and Williamnagar from October 21 to 25.

Also Read: Meghalaya: Suggestions submitted to Expert Committee on State Reservation Policy (sentinelassam.com)

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