VPP president Ardent M. Basaiawmoit said that it would continue to mobilise public support for the party’s demand for review of the job reservation policy.
“If the people give their support to our movement, one day the State government will have to concede to this demand,” Basaiawmoit said at the first public meeting convened by the party on the issue at Mawlai stadium here.
“This is not a fight against any community but is a fight against the policy which is outdated and which has many lacunae,” he added.
Urging Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his government to suspend the operation of the roster system, Basaiawmoit also asked the chief minister to constitute a committee to review the policy “before things go out of control”.
He further said that the government should form a special committee consisting of leaders from both the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities to deliberate on this issue and find an amicable solution.
The VPP president said that till date the State government has not responded to the letter sent by the party seeking for a special session of the Assembly to discuss this issue.
“May be the government is watching the public response to the public meetings called by the VPP. If there is poor response, the government will not act on our demand,” Basaiawmoit said.
Stating that there will be three phases of the movement, Basaiawmoit said that after the three phases, the VPP will go all out against the government on the quota policy and roster system.
He also said that VPP would fight against corruption and rampant political appointments which have caused huge waste of public money and led the State to a debt trap.
Slamming the appointment of many advisers to the chief minister, Basaiawmoit said, “If Conrad Sangma needs so many advisers to advise him, then it shows that he is not fit to hold the post of chief minister.”