FKJGP pleads for retaining reservation

SHILLONG, April 10: The Federation of Khasi Jaintia & Garo people (FKJGP) on Monday put the brakes on the growing demand for a review of the State Reservation Policy, 1972.
“This is a very sensitive issue. The present reservation policy should not be touched since we might be losing instead of gaining from it,” FKJGP president Cliff Dundee Cliff Khongsit told reporters.
He further stated that the two major tribes Khasi and Garos are benefitting since there is a reservation of 40 per cent for both tribes.
“As per my understanding, the reservation cannot exceed 50 per cent. I fear that we might be losing what we are enjoying at present if there is interference from the court,” Khongsit said.
He, however, endorsed the demand for “prospective” implementation of the roster system.
According to him, it will be an uphill task even for the government departments to gather the records if the roster system is implemented “retrospectively” from 1972.
Stating that they are happy with the directive of the High Court of Meghalaya, he said that it is now left to the state government to decide on the cut-off date for implementation of the roster system.
“We want the roster system to be implemented from the date that the government came up with an office memorandum on May 10, 2022, putting in place a roster system according to the reservation policy,” he said.