Road were unusually jam-packed today as thousands of people came to show their support for Voice of the People Party (VPP) chief and Nongkrem MLA Ardent M Basaiawmoit, whose hunger strike continued.
The opposition politician’s protest looks like it is unlikely to end soon as he publicly declared that he has refused to be part of the committee set up by the state government to probe the roster system impasse.
The VPP wants the state’s job reservation policy to also come under review and not for the roster system to be considered in isolation.
Addressing the crowd, Basaiawmoit said, “We will not stop until the reservation policy is reviewed,” while appealing for unity among the Khasi-Jaintia community.
“The VPP will only lead but the agitation will be of the jaitbynriew and it is the duty of all to give a strong support on the issue,” he added.
The current reservation policy mandates 40 percent quotas each for the Garo and Khasi-Jaintia communities. The VPP wants this reviewed as the latter group significantly outnumbers the Garo tribe.
“We don’t need to talk about the roster system. We want the review of the reservation policy because if it stays, the same great danger will await our youth for many decades,” Basaiawmoit said darkly.
Meanwhile, the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) today publicly tore up the letter sent by the government inviting them to talks about the roster system, claiming that it is merely an attempt to mislead the people. HITO chief Donbok Dkhar also lamblasted cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and former MLA Himalaya Shangpliang, saying that they had earlier spoke about the need to review the quotas but had now changed their stance.
“Can we trust the committee that is now headed by these same people who had spoken to review the police before?” Dkhar asked while urging other pressure groups not to attend the May 31 meeting.
