At the outset, let’s go through this recap to put things into the right perspective. Meghalaya – the 21st State of the Indian Union was carved out of the erstwhile State of Assam on the 2nd April 1970 as an Autonomous State, created under the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act 1969, consisting of the former Garo Hills District and United Khasi and Jaintia Hills district of Assam.
Meghalaya became a full-fledged State in the midnight of January 20-21, 1972 in accordance with the provisions contained in the North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. From 2nd April 1970 to 21st January 1972, Meghalaya was an Autonomous State with limited powers. The Provisional Meghalaya Legislative Assembly consisted of 41 (forty one) Members, 38 (thirty eight) Members-indirectly elected and 3 (three) nominated Members.
It was during this time on January 12th 1972, the notifications of the State Reservation Policy came vide letter No. PER.222/71/138. May we ask whether the State Reservation Policy was created by the Provisional State over a cup of tea or we can see the minutes of that meeting where these resolutions of the State Reservation Policy were taken? The first general election to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly was held in the beginning of March 1972. The first session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly of elected members was held on the 25th March, 1972 with the Acting Speaker (Shri Jor Manik Syiem) in the chair at Shillong.
Clearly, the State Reservation Policy was not framed by an elected government of a full-fledged State, yet the Chief Minister is adamant not to discuss and review the outdated policy which has long over-lived its life. Let us remind him that the Constitution of India which was drafted by the Constituent Assembly formed in 1946, comprising a group of 300 people with Dr. B R Ambedkar as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee came together and finished the draft of the Constitution in 1949. It took them three long years of discussions and deliberations to bring the Draft Constitution which was eventually adopted and implemented from 26th January 1950.
In spite of that, the Constitution of India had undergone a total of 105 amendments over time to incorporate the desires and aspirations of the people as needed. In a stark contrast, here in the present day Meghalaya, we have the MDA Government led by the NPP which does not even want to discuss the outdated State Reservation Policy which was framed under peculiar circumstances as mentioned earlier, displaying insensitivity to the concern of the entire Khasi-Jaintia-Bhoi community, and focusing only on the Garo community.
While the entire Khasi-Jaintia-Bhoi community is rallying behind the VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, who is on hunger strike for over a week demanding the review of the State Reservation Policy, it is shocking to see that the Chief Minister is maintaining complete silence and being a stoic while his allies – the UDP and HSPDP have also supported Basaiawmoit’s demand.
It is equally baffling to hear the arguments of the State President of NPP, Dr. W R Kharlukhi justifying the State Reservation Policy. Can he prove that the conditions of villages in remote corners of Khasi-Jaintia-Ri-Bhoi areas are any less backward than that of the villages in remote Garo Hill areas in terms of basic infrastructure – health centers, education, roads, electricity, connectivity, job opportunities, etc.? Or maybe, he thinks that in the last 51 years, the Khasi-Jaintia-Bhoi areas have developed so much that is comparable to Shillong and our Garo Hill areas are as they were for the last 51 years.
If that be the case, which is certainly not, it is not because of the Khasis but because of their elected representatives who have failed them for the last 51 years. Therefore, dear Garo friends, make them pay for it. Another shocker is the statement of Rakkam A. Sangma, Education Minister of Meghalaya on the threat of Supreme Court ruling on reservation. I think he is undermining the wisdom of the highest court of the country.
Can Rakkam A. Sangma guarantee that maintaining the status quo on the State Reservation Policy will enable the Supreme Court to rule in favour of the State? The Supreme Court ruling on the existing reservation will impact several other state governments where similar reservation is in place. Importantly, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana and many other states have crossed the 50 per cent reservation cap.
The need of the hour is to review the State Reservation Policy and have a combined reservation for all Meghalaya STs without dividing it into peace meals based on tribes and review it every ten years. Let us give meritocracy a chance and let the best mind rule the State for good. In the worst case scenario, if the Supreme Court, in its wisdom, strikes down our reservation to 50 per cent, we will cope with it.
The State governments in all the states are ruled by its people for the welfare of the entire state and it is naive to believe that a State government does not know how to balance its recruitments to unreserved posts. For example, in Assam, more than 50 per cent of the posts are unreserved. Same is with Odisha and other states. Have a look at their recruitments, less than 5 percent will be non-Assamese, or non-Oriya, etc. Most of the posts are filled by locals purely based on merit.
Perhaps, our flawed reservation policy is itself the root cause of our underdevelopment in the last 51 years. Let the best minds among the Khasi, Jaintias and the Garos, purely based on merit with no interference from the political class, run the administration of the State and see where we reach in the next ten years or so. Believe me. We will have the best doctors, dentists, engineers, pharmacists, nurses, allied medical technicians, etc from among ourselves. Our Meghalaya Public Service Commission, District Selection Committees, all recruitment boards, etc. will be run by the sharpest minds without fear or favour across Meghalaya. Friends! Meritocracy and optimism is the only way forward.
(The writer teaches in NEHU, Shillong)
