SHILLONG, June 5: UDP senior leader and minister Paul Lyngdoh has slammed the Voice of the People Party (VPP) for politicising the demand to review the reservation policy and inciting communal hatred.
“They (VPP) are trying to create mayhem in society. They are trying to dictate terms and we will not allow it. We have many people who love the indigenous community and the love for its own community is not a monopoly of anyone,” he said, finally breaking his silence on the sensitive issue.
Lyngdoh observed that Garos were more matured and more astute politically as compared to the Khasis and Jaintias.
Justifying his comment, he said leaders from this part of the state (Khasi-Jaintia Hills) make a lot of unnecessary noise over several things but Garos have shown more wisdom and maturity.
He recalled voices being raised during the 2023 Assembly polls on the need for a Khasi chief minister but there was no clamour in the Garo Hills.
What they (Garos) actually did ended all hopes of a Khasi CM by ensuring that 18 out of the 24 seats in the Garo Hills went to the NPP led by Conrad K. Sangma, he pointed out.
“We made all the noise and finally ended by lighting the spark in them that they would be more comfortable having a chief minister from their region and they, therefore, vehemently voted in favour of the NPP,” the UDP legislator added.
Stating that there are many people who show their love for their own community through their work, Lyngdoh said there are many who are researching the origin of the Khasi people and even spending their financial resources to write and collect information.
“I am of the view that they are the ones who love the ‘jaitbynriew’ more than most,” he said.
He further said that he had signed many files that will favour the indigenous community and the state.
Lyngdoh said he does not feel it is proper for him to go to the roof of the Secretariat and shout to inform people about what he has done.
“I can easily do that by asking the DIPR to arrange for a PA system and call the media to publicise my activities. As elected representatives, we need to behave maturely since the people have given us the responsibility,” he said.
When pointed out that many political parties are supporting the demand for reviewing the reservation policy, he said that a lot of it is political manoeuvring.
“You should not be surprised if political parties indulge in such manoeuvring. But there should be a line. We have to define that line. We cannot emotionally blackmail people eternally,” Lyngdoh said.
Questioning the timing of the VPP in raising the issue of job reservation, he pointed out that the MDA 2.0 government is only three months old.
Hinting at a connection between former CM Mukul Sangma and the VPP, Lyngdoh said VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit was silent when he (Sangma) was ruling the state for eight years.
“And why now is he (Ardent) raising this issue?” he asked.
But Lyngdoh clarified that his view does not mean a review of the reservation policy was unnecessary.
“The only thing I am saying is we need to relook at our priorities. It is not the most important issue basically. We have mentioned it in the party manifesto and there is an expert committee and the all-party meeting is continuing the process. We will come up with the best solutions,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said there is a need to look at Meghalaya’s unemployment problem from a wider perspective.
“It is not just unemployment; there is also an issue of unemployability. We have many jobs where we are not fit to be employed,” he said, referring to the outcome of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Lyngdoh said only one person from Meghalaya, a non-tribal, cleared UPSC compared to four from Mizoram. “We need to produce people who will be on top of the hierarchy of administration. Do we really need to produce khalasis or peons?” he asked.
Lyngdoh also echoed a recent statement by the Meghalaya Congress that a mere review of the job reservation policy of 1972 will not put an end to the unemployment problem in the state.
He said only 500 vacancies are generated in various government undertakings in a year and it is a dwindling sector in terms of employment opportunities.
He also spoke on the need to push other sectors like tourism, weaving, and government-aided projects which can provide a lot of opportunities in the coming years.
