VPP defends fight against state’s job roster system

SHILLONG, March 30: The political new-broom, Voice of the People Party (VPP) which proved to be the loudest of opposition voices in the just concluded Assembly session, is unrelenting when it comes to keeping the contentious job roster issue alive.
VPP has already drawn flak from certain quarters for pursuing a communally sensitive issue in a brusque manner.
However, the party spokesman Batskhem Myrboh on Thursday brushed aside all criticism and protest lodged by certain individuals and groups against the party for raking up the issue and seeking a review of the reservation policy and withholding the implementation of the roster system for now. He described the protest as “unfortunate, uncalled for and unreasonable”.
“It is a known fact that reservation policy is a sensitive matter, but its sensitivity should not prevent the rational application of mind to it. It is an undeniable fact that the state job reservation policy lacks rational and justifiable basis as it totally ignores the ground realities such as population structure of the state and the right of the differently-abled persons besides others,” Myrboh said.
He observed that implementing the roster system without reviewing the policy disproportionately affects the youth from a particular community who has to bear the burden of historical circumstances.
Regarding the allegation that VPP president Ardent Basaiawmoit and the party was promoting communalism among communities living in the state, he said, “It is totally baseless and erroneous.”
“He (Basaiawmoit) in fact presented a mature and responsible speech in the just concluded Assembly session regarding the reservation policy and the roster system. In the speech, he categorically clarified that he never intended to bring deprivation and that he was never against any community,” the VPP spokesperson said.
According to him, all communities should enjoy the benefits and privileges according to what they deserve.
He said that clean politics with zero tolerance for corruption, nepotism, and undue political influence in the functioning of all recruitment bodies/boards is the strong founding principle of the VPP.
Myrboh said that the party requests the people of the state across communities not to fall prey to the attempt of people with vested interest to incorrectly malign the party as being communal and bigot.
“We are cognizant of the fact that every effort is being made to tarnish the image of the party with the ill intent to stop its influence and spread from reaching every nook and corner of the state; the reason being that the party has unsettled the electoral performances of those who view and practice corruption and deceitfulness as essential ingredients of politics,” the VPP spokesperson said.
He further stated that the party welcomes and appeals to the people of Garo Hills to join hands with the VPP to make an all-Meghalaya party to bring development and progress as “we are committed to bringing alternative politics to the state”.
Stating that the party is the only hope for a true future for Meghalaya, he said that the leaders of those parties (or their earlier parties) who enjoy overwhelming support in the Garo Hills consistently fail to bring development in Garo Hills.
“Even though such parties unreasonably oppose any attempt to rationalise the state job reservation policy, they are not serious about the development of the region, especially in the education sector. Non-seriousness in the development of education is the greatest disservice that any leader or party can commit against any community,” Myrboh observed.
He further stated: “We are fully committed to developing and empowering the youth irrespective of the communities and sections they belong to and to make them nationally competitive.”