SHILLONG, March 29: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) may approach the High Court of Meghalaya if the state government fails to take cognizance of its demand to review the decision to implement the roster system retrospectively.
“We will wait for a week’s time to respond to their suggestions on the roster system before seeking redressal from the court,” HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin told reporters after a meeting with Law Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh.
He said Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma indirectly closed any dialogue while advising people unhappy with the roster system to go to court.
“But we want to give an opportunity to the state government to hold a dialogue with various stakeholders including MLAs, political parties and pressure groups,” he said.
Kharjahrin said the HYC members will hit the streets to protest if the issue is not resolved.
“He (CM) will have to take the responsibility if communal issues arise,” he said, referring to the MBoSE issue that led to a communal flare-up in 2005.
He further said the high court is yet to examine the validity of the Roster Maintenance Policy (RMP) approved by the Cabinet last year.
Any new system should be implemented prospectively and not retrospectively, he added.
The HYC president said the state government cannot decide on implementing the RMP retrospectively if only one department has data on its employees since 1972.
“According to the rules, the roster system will come into effect once the reservation policy is implemented but some government departments have failed to produce documents required for the process,” he said.
The HYC felt that the roster system should come into effect from the day it gets the nod and advised the government not to go back in time as it would give rise to many problems.
“We have impressed upon the law minister that the roster system should be implemented prospectively and not retrospectively,” he said.
Kharjahrin said they cannot allow the government to implement a roster system which will be biased toward a section of the tribal community of the state.
He further observed that it is only in Meghalaya that there is a special reservation for two major tribes (Khasis and Garos), adding that the reservation policy is dividing the communities in the state.
The reservation policy in other states only mentioned the words Schedule Tribe and Scheduled Caste, he pointed out.
Replying to a query, he said the Cabinet will have to decide if the government agrees to have a relook at the RMP.
“A decision cannot be taken without placing the matter in the Cabinet,” Kharjahrin said.
The Voice of the People Party had asked the state government to put the implementation of the roster system on hold besides reviewing the present reservation policy.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Wednesday said the state government is still closely examining the pros and cons of the implementation of roster system.
After her meeting with the members of Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), she told reporters that it will take some time before the state government arrives at any conclusion.
She appealed to people not to lose hope and have faith in the government. She said it is nearly a year that the High Court of Meghalaya issued a directive to implement the roster system.
The Minister said the government will have to submit a complete report to the High Court once the various departments complete the exercise of collecting data. She said the HYC questioned why the roster system has to be implemented retrospectively from 1972.
There is a demand to put the implementation of the roster system on hold but Lyngdoh said it will not be possible to make any commitment.
“We will need to examine if there is such a possibility. But whatever decision is taken, it has to be a collective one,” she said, adding that she agreed to meet the HYC members as they have legal experts in the group.
“I feel it will not be a right approach to decline to meet them. As the Minister concerned, it is my duty to listen to their views and suggestions. At the same time however, we cannot rush in taking any decision, especially when it comes after a directive of the court,” Lyngdoh said.
She said the previous government had gone ahead with the implementation of the roster system following the court’s order. The present government will take note of any constructive ideas, she added.
On the demand to convene an all-party meeting on the matter, the Minister said this can be explored for wider consultations.
“My meeting with the HYC is part of this consultation exercise,” she added.
