The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has said that the state reservation policy lacks rational and justifiable base as it ignored the ground realities such as population structure of the state and the rights of the differently abled persons and others.
The VPP, which has been pushing for a review of the reservation policy and to withhold implementation of the roster system, has been criticised by various groups in the Garo Hills.
The nascent party with four MLAs have caused a commotion in the State, when it made its demand heard in the recently concluded budget session of the assembly.
“It is a known fact that reservation policy is a sensitive matter, but its sensitivity should not prevent the rational application of mind to it,” VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said in a statement today.
According to the party, implementing the roster system without reviewing the policy disproportionately affects the youth from a particular community who has to bear the burden of historical circumstances.
Taking on the condemnation and protest against the party for its demand, Myrboh said this is unfortunate, uncalled for and unreasonable.
“The allegation that the President of the VPP, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit and the party itself promote communalism among communities living in the state is totally baseless and erroneous,” he said, adding, “Basaiawmoit in fact presented a matured and responsible speech in the just concluded Meghalaya Legislative Assembly regarding the reservation policy and the roster system.”
He said that the VPP chief had categorically clarified that he never intended to bring deprivation and that he was never against any community and all should enjoy the benefits and privileges according to what they deserve.
Stating that the party is formed by the conscious, responsible, honest and peace loving but fact speaking people of the state, the VPP spokesperson said that clean politics with zero tolerance for corruption, nepotism and undue political influence in the functioning of all recruitment bodies/boards is the strong founding principle of the party.
He said the party is aware that efforts are being made to tarnish the image of the party with an ill intent to stop its influence and urged people not to fall prey to the attempt of people with vested interest to incorrectly malign the party as being communal and bigot.
“The party welcomes and appeals the people of Garo Hills to join hands with the VPP to make an all Meghalaya party to bring development and progress as leaders of those parties (or their earlier parties) who enjoy an overwhelming support in the Garo Hills consistently fail to bring development in Garo Hills,” he said.
