A group calling itself the Anti Corruption League (ACL), based out of New Bhaitbari in West Garo Hills has demanded 4 per cent reservations in government jobs for the members of the Muslim community.
The ACL has written to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to see redress for perceived deprivations and inequality faced by the local non-tribal Muslim population of Garo Hills.
In the release, the ACL said that the “desi Muslims” of the plains belt region of Garo Hills had wholeheartedly supported the Hill State Movement that led to the creation of Meghalaya as a separate state in 1972. Non-tribals, it added, had been assured of “equal opportunities and fair play” by the tribal leaders.
However, with only 15 per cent of state government jobs open to the general category, the desi Muslims are at a disadvantage when it comes to searching for jobs.
After the creation of Meghalaya, non-tribals “were reduced to the status of almost second-class citizens”, the ACL stated as they had no reservation in jobs, were largely deprived of the right to buy and sell land in Meghalaya and face restrictions in working in the state.
The group referred to the Supreme Court ruling in 1992 specifying a maximum ideal level of reservation of 50 per cent and said that while it is not opposed to reservation for the Garo and Khasi-Jaintia “brothers”, it could not do so at the cost of the Muslim community and meritocracy.
The current reservation system has created a new deprived community in the non-tribals of the state, it added.
