KSU, FKJGP challenge retrospective roster system

SHILLONG, May 18: The state government’s decision to introduce the roster system retrospectively has been severely challenged by the KSU and FKJGP.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, KSU general secretary Donald V. Thabah asked the NPP-led MDA 2.0 Government to adopt the roster system prospectively.
He claims that if the government decides to apply the roster system from the date the Meghalaya State Reservation Policy was enacted (in 1972) it will have a significant  bearing on Khasi-Pnar employment seekers.
He continued by saying that it is improper for the young Khasi-Pnar people of today to be harassed just because of the errors made by the leaders of the Statehood movement.
Thabah stated that finding work was the top priority for Khasi-Pnar job seekers, and that previous governments’ failure to implement the roster system had nothing to do with this.
Referring to the population ratio, the KSU general secretary claimed that because the Khasi-Jaintia population is larger than the Garos’, these two communities do not benefit from the 40 per cent job quota.
“We underlined that the roster system must be implemented prospectively. The government’s move to retrospectively impose the roster system would deny the Khasi-Jaintia youth their right to employment,” Thabah said.
Echoing similar sentiments, FKJGP vice president, Kitboklang Nongphlang has asked the various political parties that will be present at the all-party meeting on Friday to make sure that any decisions made are in the best interests of all the people.
“We appeal to the various political parties to ensure that any decision which is taken should be a balanced one and it should not be biased,” the FKJGP leader added.
He added that the population ratio should be used to determine how the roster system should be implemented in order to prevent Khasi-Jaintia job seekers from falling victim to the government’s bias.
“The roster system should be put into place starting on the day the High Court issued the order. It shouldn’t regress,” Nongphlang continued.
He claimed that the news that the state government is moving to retrospectively adopt the roster system, beginning in 1972, in accordance with the order of the High Court of Meghalaya has caused a sense of unease among youths and even among parents.