Recognise Khasi-Jaintia as one community: Voice of the People Party demand 1971 population census for reservation policy

The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has advocated that the percentage of reservation for Khasi-Jaintia, Garos, Scheduled Castes and other tribes be based in terms of the 1971 census population, further stressing the need to recognise Khasi-Jaintia as one community.

In a letter to the Expert Committee on State Reservation Policy, VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, on June 14 stated, “The percentage of reservation for Khasi-Jaintia, Garos, Scheduled Castes and other tribes should be based in terms of their population as per the 1971 census. The Khasi-Jaintia community should be taken as one community.”

Furthermore, the president of the VPP emphasised that the state's job reservation policy, despite claiming to represent populations accurately, did not appropriately consider the official census data when allocating reservation percentages.

“Therefore, the allocation of 40 per cent for the Khasi-Jaintia, 40 per cent for the Garos and 5 percent for the SC and other STs lacked logical and scientific basis. The percentage was based on assumption rather on facts. Hence, it went against the very basis of the policy itself,” he also stated.

He additionally said that while the Meghalaya government had failed to put in place the roster system, the Meghalaya High Court corrected it in 2022 while implementing the job reservation.

Meanwhile, the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) earlier said that the Scheduled Tribes (STs) of the state must be given a 93 per cent combined reservation.

“We are of the opinion that if the Supreme Court held that sub-classification of STs/SCs is Constitutionally and legally valid, then based on the ratio of population of Khasi-Jaintia community, the reservation should be 50%, the Garo category should be retained at 40% and other STs category be given 3% reservation. If sub-classification of STs/SCs is constitutionally invalid and illegal as per the opinion of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the afore-stated case, then we are of the opinion that 93% combined reservation should be given to the STs of the State, 2% to the SCs and 5% be left as unreserved category,” HYC president Roykupar Synrem said in a letter to the Expert Committee on State Reservation Policy.

Earlier, the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) had also shared observations and suggestions on the existing State Reservation Policy of the Government of Meghalaya, asking the expert committee to consider and provide clarifications.