By CF Lyngdoh
Fifty one years ago the leaders of the Hill State Movement, Captain Williamson Sangma,
Mr. B.B. Lyngdoh Mr. Kistobin Rymbai, Mr. G.G. Swell, Mrs. Miriam D. Shira and a
host of other leaders from Khasi-Jaintia and Garo Hills with an astute foresight for the
two hill areas, finally heaved a sigh of relief when their dream for a separate Hill State
finally saw the light of day when the Hill State of their dream was inaugurated on 21 st
January, 1972 with a poetic name ‘Meghalaya’ – ‘the land of clouds’ which it is actually
so.
Initially, many people of the two hill areas were anxious to see how the two main tribes –
the Khasi Jaintia and the Garos will work together and if they can cooperate in the
interests of the well- being of the new state and their people. Thank God, things went
smoothly and very well for the people of Meghalaya. The relationship between the two
tribes in all spheres of activity gelled smoothly and cordially for 50 years.
All of a sudden, the cordial atmosphere was jolted (mildly) by the so called ‘Roster
System’ introduced not long ago to be part of the ‘Job Reservation Policy’ of Meghalaya.
We do not know much about the Job Reservation Policy scripted by the founders of
Meghalaya State. What is well known to us is that the Khasi Jaintia Tribe will be entitled
to 40% reservation in appointments in government jobs to posts advertised by the
government and in educational institutions so also the Garo Tribe is entitled to 40%
reservation, in appointment to posts advertised by the State Government. This
Reservation Policy of 40% each for the to tribes (call it the 40 : 40 formula) at first look
itself appears to be lopsided because the 40 : 40 formula is not based on realistic
population figures but arbitrarily; the founding fathers justified the policy on the grounds
that they want to see the two tribes to attain parity sometime in the future of their young
state. We like to convince ourselves that what the founding fathers provided in the policy
had arisen out of a feeling of brotherhood and generosity in the hope that someday in the
future the formula 40 : 40 will be seen being fulfilled at the State Government level
though not at District levels.
A quick look at the Census Figures of Meghalaya for the year 2011 shows the population
figures for the whole State of Meghalaya as follows:-
i) Khasi – Jaintia Hills Region = 18,63,347
ii) Garo Hills Region = 11,03,542
Total = 29,66,889
The population of the Khasi – Jaintia Tribe (KJ, in short) works out to about 14,00,000
(14 lacs). This is based on the records of the KJ Presbyterian Synods, the Ri Bhoi Synod
the All Saints Church the Catholic Church, the Church of God, the Niam Khasi, Niam
Tre and the Unitarian Church without taking the record from the smaller Christian
denominations. The population of the Garo Tribe can be reasonably put at 10,00,000 (10
lacs). The population of the non-tribals is estimated to be 363,347 in KJ Hills and
103,542 in Garo Hills, i.e., a total of 466,889 excluding the floating population. Overall, a
rough estimation of the population structure is:
Number Percentage
(upto 2 decimal places)
i) KJ Tribe – 14,00,000 47.19
ii) Garo Tribe – 10,00,000 33.70
iii) Non Tribal & Others – 5,66,889 19.11
Total – 29,66,889 100.00
Therefore the ratio of population:
KJ : Garo : Rest of the population is
47.19 : 33.70 : 19.11 on percentage basis
Here we see the combined population of KJ and Garo Tribes to be 80.89% of the State
Population; the formula 40:40 however assumes the population percentage of this
combine to be 80% out of the total State Population. On the 80% basis, the proportion
KJ : Garo works to 46.67 : 33.33.
i.e., Population break up Khasi Jaintia = 46.67%
Garo = 33.33% Rest = 20.00%
If 100 appointments are made each year by the State Government, the Khasi – Jaintia
group would be entitled mathematically to 47 posts, the Garo group would be entitled to
33 posts and 20 posts will go to the third group known as Open Category based on
percentage population. On the other hand by observing the formula 40:40, the KJ group
would get only 40 posts (against 47 calculated) and the Garo group would get 40 posts
(against 33 calculated).
By simply adhering to the Reservation Policy, the Garo Tribe gains an extra 7 posts
advantage whilst the Khasi – Jaintia Tribe loses 7 posts for every 100 posts appointed by
the government. With all this extra advantage enjoyed by the Garo Tribe to the
disadvantage of the KJ Tribe, the latter bore the loss ungrudgingly in the last 50 years. Is
it therefore fair or justifiable to make the Roster System an important issue to demand for
restoration of vacancies which could not be filled up in the past for nobody’s fault?
It is hoped that good sense will prevail among the two tribes not to insist on roster system
nor revise the Reservation Policy envisaged by the founding fathers for the general
welfare of Meghalaya and the wellbeing of all the citizens of the State.