Education Minister Rakkam Sangma today said that any change of the State’s job reservation policy may result in the Supreme Court striking down the policy.
Speaking to media persons here today, Sangma urged VPP president and Nongkrem MLA Ardent M. Basaiawmoit who is currently on an indefinite hunger strike to put an end to “such kind of politics and drama which is like playing with fire”.
“I would appeal to every citizen and leader of the State to understand the consequences of the actions done today. With this kind of politics and drama we are playing with fire and that fire will burn everybody including the Voice of the People Party,” Sangma said.
Stating that the 1992 Supreme Court judgment in the Indira Sawhny case made it clear that reservation should not exceed 50 per cent, Sangma said that luckily Meghalaya is enjoying 85 per cent job reservation for the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities.
Sangma said that Basaiawmoit ‘s action may even put the future of the students in the State at risk.
“Like in Maharashtra, if the Supreme Court struck down our job reservation policy, we will be the loser,” he said.
Sangma was referring to a case where a complainant challenged the ordinance passed by the Maharashtra government in the Supreme Court over the allocation of reserved seats to a certain tribe beyond 50 per cent.
According to Sangma, the apex court struck down the ordinance and reminded every state in the country that reservation should not go beyond 50 per cent.
