By Benjamin Lyngdoh
The hunger strike of Ardent Basaiawmoit (VPP president and MLA) on the Meghalaya job reservation policy remains a topic of hot debate. While there were many who supported it, there were also those who were indifferent and questioned the entire exercise. Many others were fence sitters and did not come out openly to state whether they supported the hunger strike or not. This in itself is an indication of the divisions prevailing within the Khasi community. Hence, it is only appropriate to look into the plus and minus points of the hunger strike and where it might possibly lead to in the immediate term.
The matter per se
Any policy cannot remain fixed forever. This is true for any development policy and the job reservation policy is no exception. Policies are to be amended and reviewed periodically and on a continuous basis as per the changes and the demands of the times. As such, MDA 2.0 agreeing to an expert committee to study the job reservation policy is a plus. The Garo and Khasi communities will have to move ahead with an open mind for a fruitful outcome on the deliberations. The contention of some that a policy that has worked well for 50 years (but, has it really?) must not be tinkered with is flawed. These are the voices of/from political parties whose only desire is to play vote bank politics. Instead of being a tool of development, the job reservation policy has become a tool for gaining/losing votes. NPP does not want to touch it as it would lose its Garo vote bank. Mukul Sangma is silent on it (and even if he speaks he is giving out mixed messages) as he is playing the waiting game. Congress, UDP and HSPDP are just going with the flow with occasional words of discontent. Again, in the grand scheme of things the VPP might have shaken the wrong tree. Amidst all this, the opportunity to revisit the policy must not be lost out on the future generations. Will the politics be subsumed by commonsense and desire for peace and progress? This question needs answering.
Halt in recruitment
It was only natural that with the review of the job reservation policy all immediate and future recruitments would come to a standstill. This is a minus point. This was also one of the main reasons why many did not support or openly support the hunger strike. To some, it was like VPP was playing with fire. Now with a halt in recruitment there are those who feel that VPP has slipped on the reservation banana skin. Talks of a gradual demise of VPP are also starting to gain ground. That said, the solution to halt all recruitment lies in an extension in the age limit of the job-seeking youth according to the time taken by the experts to study the issue. This is a technicality that can be handled one way or the other. The larger concern is the mental impact/stress of the recruitment halt. Here, the argument put forth by some that state government jobs are a handful only and mostly insignificant, does not hold water. This is because the impact is psychological. When even the prospects of seeing job advertisements and applying for them do not exist anymore, any ray of hope of fighting for a meaningful lifestyle and well-being is lost. It must be factored that there are dedicated, motivated and talented youth out there with the drive to work for the people and the state through government postings. Who will care for their mental make-up?
Change in perception
The VPP hunger strike has shown that any significant social issue worth addressing or fighting for would not go uncontested. Any social issue will have its rights and wrongs when delved at technically. But, if a political party is convinced of being right then it may foray into a protest in various forms. This is a plus. This is more so as with the revisit of the policy numerous small scheduled tribes and scheduled castes in Meghalaya have asked for consideration of inclusion in the reviewed job policy. In terms of inclusiveness and harmony, this is a step in the right direction. While the Garos and Khasi might frown with anger at the development, it is imperative to look at the bigger picture. If a certain section has been living in Meghalaya for ages together then how can they be denied the right of recognition? As it is they will be having a minor share in the job reservation. It is important to have a broader perception on the issue. Another angle that needs deliberation is whether the economically weaker Garos, Khasis, etc can be accorded a specific share in the job reservation? With around 40% of the population living below the poverty line, this intervention might be much needed. Further, a specific share for the differently-abled in job reservation needs to be deliberated at this juncture.
Political lip service
As the hunger strike of Ardent Basaiawmoit entered its second week, what became blatant was political lip service. There were a lot of political voices spreading discord and confusion. This is again a minus. The NPP was involved in fear mongering by citing earlier court rulings and judgements and how this would impact the existing Meghalaya job reservation. A common statement was that the people would lose all job benefits as currently ensured. Fear is a poison. The human psyche is mostly driven by it. This explains the indecision of many to support the hunger strike. From AITC and Congress, almost everything said was a personal opinion of the leaders and nothing official came out. UDP and HSPDP were the major proponents of lip service and misdirection. While stating support for the review of the policy they were also undecided and tried to shun the issue altogether. It was only when it seemed that the tide was turning against them that the UDP visited the hunger strike site with assurances of support for the cause. In the process, VPP was left with no option but to defend its stand through a series of clarifications and counter-points.
It can be fairly argued that amidst all the lip service, Ardent’s hunger strike would have been untenable after the second week. The crowd would have become more confused and disheartened. This political lip service killed the hunger strike.
In the end, the desire of many is for the entire review exercise to conclude soon. Further, the people will have to be mentally prepared for a prolonged deliberation on the issue. One can expect to see representations and counter-representations from the stakeholders. Addressing all of those will entail time and effort. There is also a high probability of the review process being challenged in a court of law. The VPP’s hunger strike might just have opened a Pandora’s Box of complications. These can only be solved if and only if the communities come together with understanding and cooperation; else, the future looks bleak!
(The writer teaches at NEHU; Email – [email protected])