Meghalaya: KSU proposes 50% job reservation for Khasi-Jaintia, 40% for Garo

The Khasi Students Union (KSU) on Thursday proposed adjustments to Meghalaya’s state reservation policy, advocating for a 50 percent job reservation for Khasi-Jaintia, 40 percent for Garos, 5 percent for other Scheduled Tribes (STs), and 5 percent for the unreserved category.

Speaking to media, KSU General Secretary Donald V Thabah, “During our interaction with the Expert Committee, we have suggested that if the reservation is going to be based on population, then we are of the opinion that the ratio of reservation between the Khasis and the Garos should be 50 percent for Khasi-Jaintia and 40 percent for Garos, 5 percent for other STs and 5 percent unreserved. Mark my word it is not general but unreserved category that means open for all.”

“Another option is that if the proposal is not possible then reservation should be 90 percent open for Khasi, Jaintia and Garo and 5 percent for other tribes and 5 percent unreserved. These were the first two suggestions we have put forth before the panel,” he added.

“If the new reservation policy is going to come out then it should not be retrospective, there should not be any backlog, it should be fresh, it should start afresh”, Thabah stated.

The union also suggested 100 percent reservation for teachers in lower primary and primary schools.
“The last suggestion is that we believe that with regards to the education, reservation policy is also linked and it is very important when we impart education to the children in lower primary and primary, we have to converse and interact with the students in our mother tongue, ” KSU General Secretary said.

“So we are suggesting that in the Garo Hills region, 100 percent reservation for teachers should go to the Garos and similarly in the Eastern range of Meghalaya, 100 percent reservation should be for the Khasis-Jaintias because we feel a Garo will not be able if we go by reservation of 40:40 or 50:40, a Garo will not be able to teach a young Khasi kid in Khasis neither can a Khasi go to Garo Hills and impart education to Garo school children. For better quality of education we are suggesting this 100 percent reservation for teachers in lower primary and primary including SSA schools,” he added.

Also Read: Calcutta HC Judge Indra Prasanna Mukerji Sworn in as Chief Justice of Meghalaya HC

Also Watch: