Meghalaya: Khasi, Jaintia and Garo body halts recruitment exam for assistant teachers at Laitumkhrag Assamese Secondary School

The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) Central body halted the recruitment examination for assistant teachers at Laitumkhrah Assamese Secondary School, Shillong. 

Members of the FKJGP barged into the school campus and stopped the recruitment process as the federation has received a complaint that the school had not declared the results of the preliminary interview held in 2018. 

Leaders of the FKJGP under the leadership of the Education Secretary, Khrawkupar Nongsiej, met with the school administration to seek clarification as to why the school authority and the Managing Committee have not declared the results but keep on re-advertising the post. 

The FKJGP leader claimed that through an RTI finding, six candidates appeared for both the written exam and personal interview and it was the Khasi candidates who have done well the result was never declared but the post was re-advertised three times since 2018. 

In the RTI finding, the name of one khasi candidate shows she had secured a total of 20.5 out of 30 marks. 

On speaking to reporters, FKJGP leader Khrawkupar said, “the reason for us to close down this examination is that this same examination has been conducted in the year 2018 and a khasi lady had passed the examination with very good marks therefore she is the deserving candidate of this post”. 

“However the school administrative never gave the post to the woman neither did they inform the lady about her clearance and joining the school and they are now conducting an exam on the very same post. This injustice to the Khasi lady is not at all acceptable" further added Khrawkupar.

Talking to the principal of the school, P Devi, the FKJGP asked for a proper explanation as to why was the Khasi lady never received a joining letter after clearing and the examination as the top most from all the examiners and also reconducting the very same examination for the same post which is supposedly the Khasi woman's right.

The principal of the school said that it was the Managing Committee (MC) who has asked to not announce the result.

“We have investigated the school's MC and we found that all the members belonged to the Assamese tribe except for one Khasi woman who represented the parents and is part of the MC of the school."

We strongly put forward that "If this school continues to act in this manner creating a sense of division in terms of culture and tribe under our State, I believe we will have to take up needed actions".

This leader of the FKJGP also informed that even the office of the Director of School Education & Literacy (DSEL) has sent a letter to the District School Education Officer (DSEO) to ask the school to send a joining letter to the Khasi lady for the post of Assistant Teacher to give her her right and to also avoid any unnecessary mayhem in the future.

“What is strange is that this school never respected the DSEO even after they received an official letter from the office to send a joining letter to the Khasi lady and went ahead with the examination and interview for this position" stated Khrawkupar.

Khrawkupar also informed that the FKJGP will also meet with the DSEO of the East Khasi Hills as well as the Education minister to give the Khasi lady her deserving post as an Assistant Teacher of Laitumkhrah Assamese Secondary School.