By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 12: The Jaintia Coordination Committee for Reservation Policy (JCCRP) on Friday submitted a detailed representation to the Expert Committee on Reservation Policy, suggesting keeping 80% of the positions within the State Reservation Policy open to competition among the three major tribes of the state.
The committee, comprising prominent NGOs and traditional heads from East and West Jaintia Hills districts, urged the government to revise the policy to address the chronic economic and educational backwardness of the Jaintia tribe.
“The situation relating to economy especially where employment is concerned as well as wealth generation of the Jaintia society as a whole has suffered severely after 2014 when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a continuing ban on coal mining in the Jaintia Hills district. Therefore, government generated employment is the first point of livelihood support in the composite Jaintia Hills district,” the JCCRP pointed out in its submission.
The key proposals of the submission includes, equal reservation for indigenous tribes with 80% of positions open to competition among Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo tribes, consideration of economic indicators like per capita income and GDP to adjust reservation, merit-based opportunities within the 80% pool to foster a competitive environment, revision of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribe) Order, 1950, to reflect the indigenous tribes of Meghalaya and exclude non-resident tribes, enactment of the Reservation Policy into a Statute, defining employment and education opportunities clearly etc.
Stating that the present allocation of 40% reservation for Khasi and Jaintia tribes collectively creates ambiguity and potential inequality in employment opportunities, the JCCRP proposed a revision to the State Reservation Policy that emphasizes efficiency and merit over deficiency.
“By prioritizing merit, we ensure that positions within the state administration are filled by individuals who possess necessary skills and qualifications, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of government operations,” it added.
The JCCRP said if 80% of the positions within the State Reservation Policy are kept open to competition among the three major tribes, it will create a more inclusive yet competitive environment, encouraging the selection of the best candidates based on their merit and qualifications.
Furthermore, the JCCRP stressed the need to revise the Constitution (Scheduled Tribe) Order, 1950 relating to the list of Scheduled Tribes in Meghalaya. It pointed out that there is an entry defining Jaintia or Pnar as Synteng which should be deleted since this is derogatory in nature.
It said the Scheduled Tribes of Meghalaya should mean only the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities.
The JCCRP pitched for making the State Reservation Policy into a Statute where employment as well as education opportunities should be clearly defined.
It suggested that the Reservation Policy whether retained or modified should be enacted into a law and should clearly define the percentages of reservation of the three indigenous tribes. Eighty per cent reservation should be maintained at the district level, it stated.
It also suggested a periodic review of the State Reservation Policy to ensure that no tribe is deprived of its benefits.
The committee provided comparative figures of the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo populations from 2001 to 2021, highlighting the need for a more balanced reservation policy.