HYC opposes OM

“(We) strongly object to the stated guidelines as it provides undue favour to the Garo community whereas the Khasi-Jaintia community is being unfairly treated and demand that the government should provide for a combined 80 percent reservation at the District Level for Garos at Garo Hills districts and 80 percent combined reservation to Khasi-Jaintias at the District Level of Khasi, Jaintia and Ri Bhoi districts,” HYC said in a letter to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.

“We anticipate your kind consideration and necessary for making corrections in the said guideline in a fortnight hence and failing to do so, we will have no option but to protest against this unfair treatment to our Khasi-Jaintia community,” it said.

This came after the state government had notified the Office Memorandum (OM) on May 10, in pursuant to the judgments passed by the Meghalaya High Court on April 5 and April 20 respectively,  regarding preparation  of roster for implementation of the state reservation policy.

However, the HYC has expressed reservation and strong objection to the guideline at point “F” of the OM which stated: “Considering the position as regards the District Level posts as stated above, the Governor of Meghalaya is pleased to order that in respect of posts at the District Level where the incumbent are not likely to be transferred outside the District of original posting, there will be a combined reservation of 80 percent of the posts in favour of Garos, Khasi-Jaintia respectively, apart from 5 percent reservation in favour of other Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. While selecting candidates to such posts, preference should be given to local candidates residing permanently in the district in which the vacancies occur. In other words in Garo Hills the whole combined reservation of 80 percent will be available to Garos in the absence of any interested candidates belonging to the Khasi-Jaintia community, and in Jowai and Shillong, the combined reservation of 80 percent will be available to Khasi-Jaintia, in the absence of any interested candidates belonging to Garo community.”

Speaking to reporters, HYC general secretary Roykupar Synrem said as regards to the guideline which provides for a combined 80 percent reservations for Garos and Khasi-Jaintias, respectively at the District Level, we have no objection whatsoever.

However, we strongly opposed the proviso/rider spelled out in the guideline which provides for a preferential selection to local candidates and in the absence of candidates from either Garos or Khasi-Jaintia community in a particular district, he said.

He said we know for a fact that in the 5 districts of Garo Hills the candidates from Garo community will get a combined reservation of 80 percent and no candidate from Khasi-Jaintia community will be selected if preference is given to the local candidates residing in the concern district as very less or negligible number of people belonging to Khasi-Jaintia community are residing in the districts.

He however said that in the 7 districts of the state comprising Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Ri Bhoi district, the situation is completely different. In these districts, a considerable number of people belonging to the Garo community are permanently residing and without a doubt they will apply for any vacancies arising out in their respective districts.

“In such a case the guidelines provides opportunity to the Garo community also to apply for and get selected and they will get their share of 40 percent also,” he said adding “This is totally unfair to the Khasi-Jaintia community and the guidelines seems to favour more to the Garo community as in Garo Hills, they will get 80 percent reservation and in Khasi-Jaintia Hills district also they will get 40 percent reservation whereas the Khasi-Jaintia community will only get 40 percent reservation.”

By Our Reporter