Selection of candidates for LS polls will depend on ‘winnability’: Conrad

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: National People’s Party (NPP) National President and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the selection of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will be based on the ‘winnability factor’.

“We have started our exercise and the party is screening a large number of candidates (for the Shillong parliamentary seat),” Sangma told reporters.

He said that the party will give appropriate opportunities to individuals, who would like to apply and contest from the party ticket.

“It will be a democratic process where we will allow people to participate and share their desire to contest and then accordingly we will choose the candidate based on winnability and other factors,” he added.

The NPP chief was silent when asked if the party would field former Mawsyram legislator Himalaya Shangpliang, who recently quit the BJP, as its candidate from the Shillong constituency.

“Of course, we welcome everybody and we have always told everybody that joining has to be not based on any conditions as such. I am not talking about the concerned individual I am talking about in general. In general, everybody joins for the purpose of serving the people and the State and working through a particular party so that is the objective and that is how we would see it and of course, as I said if any individual whoever is in the party would like to apply for the ticket they can apply for the party ticket,” he said.

With regards to the Tura parliamentary seat, Sangma said there is a certain consideration for the incumbent and sitting MP Agatha K Sangma.

“Of course, we have a sitting MP out there and hence, obviously there is a certain consideration for the incumbent and sitting MP. Again as I said we have a full committee that processes the entire ticketing so therefore that process will also happen for Tura also,” he added.

On rumours that his elder brother and former Dadenggre legislator James K Sangma is also eyeing to contest the upcoming election, the NPP Chief, however, said, “As I said all different individuals can apply and we will scrutinize. The process is the same for all so the process will be followed.”

On the other hand, Sangma said the desire is always there to put up a common candidate.

“But we know politics have always been about the ideology and principle of each political party and each political party would want their particular candidate to be there and there is nothing wrong in it, it is similar to what we do as a party when it comes to the MDA, we contest the elections, so therefore, there is nothing wrong in it. And as far as I know, workers of all political parties also be it UDP or HSPDP or any other political parties, all the workers of the political parties would also want to see their party also grow and hence they would want to contest the elections. I am sure that most of the political parties would want to contest and there is nothing wrong,” he added.

If the NPP will seek support from the MDA partners, the NPP chief said, “We will discuss with everybody and then decide. We have not really gone so much into the discussion.”

Roster system: Ampareen assures justice to every community

Spokesperson of Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government Ampareen Lyngdoh has assured that the government will come up with the best solution to ensure there is no ‘injustice’ done to any community while implementing the roster system in the state.

“We will come out with the best solution and we will ensure that solution is manifested in credible information,” Lyngdoh told reporters today.

“I appeal to the people of Meghalaya and political parties across the board to kindly allow us to collect data, to ensure data collected is credible and to ensure that in applying this roster there shall be no injustice done to any one community. We are Meghalayans and we must understand that the government is for the people of Meghalaya,” she added.

Also referring to the ongoing debates on the issue, the cabinet minister said, “I appeal to political parties to be confident that the government is taking all advisories, suggestions, being debated and we will evaluate those suggestions and we will incorporate and come out with a roster which is going to be acceptable, which is going to be justified and which is going to have credible source of data.”

Stating it is a very difficult situation, she said, “We are trying our best now to ensure that while debating and discussing this matter, we should not be seen as taking anyone’s side, we will try our best to present to the people the best solution.”

On the other hand, Lyngdoh also asserted the need for citizens of the state to ensure that a practice that was propagated since the inception of the state with its positives and negatives should not be discussed beyond logical debate while citing that reservation policy is a very unique application.

According to her, the government is also aware that the roster does in all likelihood create some sort of a sense of insecurity amongst communities that are enjoying this reservation in the state of Meghalaya.

Urging the people of the state not to underestimate the capacity of the government to evaluate what practice will benefit the state in the long run, the spokesperson said, “We have been actively engaging on understanding the roster as it was and how best can we take that forward protecting the interest of all communities who will gradually and definitely be affected by it.”

“I want to give an assurance to the people of the state that the government is engaging actively. We have been advised by various court orders to ensure that we have a systematic application of the reservation policy that will seem like a policy that is sensitive to citizens across the board. We will try our best to understand this system and to ensure that while applying it we should not seem as a government that is unjustly applying a system,” she said while adding “This order of the High Court is going to have positive application in the future. We must as a state adhere to justice for all. We must provide a fair playing ground for all communities and we will try our best to ensure that in its future application we apply the system in the best and most justified manner. We are procuring all datas from all line departments to understand how the roster has been applied in the state thus far and we will adhere to advisories that are going to be productive in the long run for the state and the citizens of Meghalaya.”

On the demand of the Voice of the People Party (VPP) to review the state reservation policy, Lyngdoh said, “Again, I want to reiterate that toying with discussion and debate about the roster on public domain coming out with statements which can seem as bias is the incorrect practice forward.”

“It is not fair to give suggestions that may not be workable or doable. So we will not talk about any one political party but we appeal to all political parties that this is a very sensitive issue, we do not want to see it go out of hand,” she said while requesting all civil societies and NGO members to have faith in the government which will come out with the best solution.

Roster system, reservation policy should benefit citizens: UDP

United Democratic Party Chief Metbah Lyngdoh has taken up the issue of the state reservation policy and roster system with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and emphasized that discussion should be in the interest of all communities in the state.

“On his (CM) first day in office, I met him personally and I discussed with him with regards to the issue of the reservation policy and the roster system,” Lyngdoh told reporters today.

“I have placed before him this very sensitive issue which needs to be discussed in detail for the interest of the people of all communities in the state and the approach has to be in a very harmonious and peaceful manner,” he added.

“First, the right platform is with the chief minister. That is the right platform. So we have aired our concerns about this issue and the chief minister has responded very positively that we will look into this issue,” Lyngdoh said.

Asked the stand of the UDP on whether the roster should be implemented with prospective or retrospective effect, the UDP leader however said, “I would like to tell you here this is a very sensitive issue. One can’t just say I like this I like that we are here for the interest of the people of our state. With responsibility and accountability, we have to ensure whatever issues that we take up it has to be in a very matured manner.”

He reiterated that the issue is very sensitive and delicate and need a very detailed discussion with the stakeholders in the government and said, “There we will place our points and give our suggestions accordingly.”

Lyngdoh also refused to comment on the VPP’s demand for reviewing of the state reservation policy and said, “I am not concerned about the points raised by other political parties I am concern about our own political party.”

When it was pointed out that the UDP had also made it clear the need to review of the reservation policy in its election manifesto, the party president however said, “That is what I am saying so we will be reviewing in what sense? In the right platform. That is where we have to understand.”

Lyngdoh also said that he does not know who brought up the need to have a special session on the issue and said that the issue need to be discussed first at the right platform then they will see from there.

Govt to discuss roster system implementation

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has informed that a meeting to discuss the implementation of the roster system will be held within this week.

“Within this week itself, we will be having an internal meeting of the government and it will take some time for us to go through all the documentations, papers, court orders, the proper interpretation and all that,” Sangma told reporters on Monday.

He informed that after discussion takes place at the government level, the same will be expanded to political parties and stakeholders.

“After taking everybody on board then we will figure out on how we should move forward,” Sangma added.

Stating that the issue is very sensitive, the chief minister said, “We have to look at all the aspects, we have to look at the court orders and the different issues that are there. Once we look at all of that and once we consult with all the stakeholders then we will make an appropriate decision.”

On the demand made by the VPP for reviewing the state reservation policy, the chief minister said, “Everybody has their own opinions. We have nothing to say about the opinions they have as it is a democratic process so obviously in democracy everybody’s voice is important. Therefore, if a political party is talking about this then they have the right to talk about it but ultimately we have to take all stakeholders on board and then we have to decide what is in the best interest and we will see as the team goes forward we will sit down, we will get the facts correct, we will get all the points out, all the issues out, we will discuss it threadbare and then we will decide on how to move forward.”

He also referred to Karnataka, which has also witnessed a similar situation arising out of the job reservation issue during the elections and said, “It is a natural thing. It is not something one can say it doesn’t happen anywhere. It happens everywhere and it is natural but what is important is we need to come together. We need to figure out how we could move forward what would be in the best interest of the state and the people and decide on how we can move forward so that is how we should do it.”

With regards to the demand for winter capital at Tura, Sangma said, “I have always believed and I have always been very clear in my mind that all these social issues that we are seeing are all related to economic development. Therefore, there are many ways to get economic development and people feel in certain regions that having a winter capital or others will allow economic development and policy making to come in.”

“Therefore, these demands have been there. Government has been very clear in its policy that we have been very development oriented and we have been working in ensuring that we are able to push the private sector into entrepreneurship – so we are hopeful these aspects will allow us to move towards the ultimate objective of having overall development in the state,” he added.

George flags danger of wrong call on reservation policy

State vice president of the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and former Umroi legislator George Lyngdoh has warned that any wrong step taken in regards to the state reservation policy would bring misunderstanding among the three major tribes – Khasi, Jaintia and Garo.

Lyngdoh said the state reservation policy is a very sensitive issue considering the fact that it relates to the aspirations and the future of the youth.

“Therefore, any wrong step in this direction being a sensitive matter would bring a different kind of emotions and misunderstanding that would be detrimental to the long historic bond and understanding between the various communities in the state, the major tribes,” he said.

“Therefore, the policymakers and the leaders have to take into consideration, the sentiments, emotions and historic aspects as well as also the need to maintain the communal peace and harmony amongst the three tribes. It should not come with any kind of thing that would only disrupt peace and harmony at the cost of the future of the youth. Any policy has to bring harmony and also equity,” the ex-MLA added.

On the implementation of the roster system, Lyngdoh questioned the state government’s decision to implement the roster system with a retrospective effect.

According to him, the court’s ruling was unclear and the order of the court has to be interpreted by the state government and in its interpretation, the state government took decision with a retrospective effect.

He said that the state government has to make the people understand why in the first place a retrospective effect was taken into consideration and not a prospective one.

When asked the court had clearly stated that these are policy matters best left to the legislature and the executive, the AITC leader said, “So the question is whether the state government hurriedly rush into the implementation of the roster without understanding the full implication of the court order. So whether that urgency was actually needed before the full understanding of the court order was actually imbibed by the policymakers and both at the executive level and also at the legislative level. So whether this actual understanding of the court order was actually discussed so whether it was left to one or two to decide with a retrospective effect.”

He alleged that some of the cabinet ministers do not even understand what a roster system is and said, “What I could hear from the discussion is that even some of the policymakers, some of the ministers being in the cabinet also could not understand what a roster system is. So now they have put themselves in a spot where now they not only have to understand the roster system, they also have to understand the retrospective and prospective effect.”

On the Voice of the People Party (VPP)’s demand review of the entire policy, Lyngdoh said if any policy is in question considering both their political aspiration and also taking the aspirations of the citizens, especially the youth into consideration, they should also come with a suggestion as to what they want adding that anybody can question a policy that is in place but the fact is it is upon the responsible leaders to suggest to what should be the next step forward.

“I would say that various political parties should come up with their own suggestions as well so that it is the collective responsibility of each and every political party and leader and in fact every citizen of the state if any policy is being questioned then we should also come with solutions as to how we will finally decide on a new policy or try to change an existing policy but at the same time maintain communal harmony and equity,” he added.

Further, Lyngdoh said for any policy matter, there will be a group that will be supporting that particular policy and there will be a group that will be opposing that particular policy.

“Therefore, if amendments have to be made to a particular policy, they have to take into consideration the aspirations as well as the current situation prevailing in the state,” he asserted.

According to him, the Constitution of the country has been amended hundreds of times because it need to take the aspirations of the people considering the historic meets where and also take futuristic requirements. Therefore amendments have to be made.

Fight for Achiks must not be termed as ‘Greedy’

The Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK) has said that fighting for the rights of the Achiks cannot be termed as “greedy”.

“The person who made the statement of terming the Achik nation and ACHIK greedy probably has not read the dictionary and the meaning of equity and justice,” public relation secretary of the ACHIK Hamrash N Marak said in a statement.

He said the subjective approach to any problem or issue would narrow the vision and the objective of any person and the organisation therefore pledges to study the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy and the Roster System verdict of the Court.

The verdict of the roster system by the High Court was given because the HC found discrepancies in the implementation of JRP in the state.

Stating that the ACHIK demands for what is right and the rights of our community and nothing more, Marak said, “It is the duty of the government to repay for the injustice done to A•chiks for more than 50 years,” adding “It must be understood that no community can be suppressed, marginalised and deprived of their rights for years and cannot expect the community to fight back, and A•chik community is no less than any.”

He said that the ACHIK as a society has been organising and reaching out to the A•chik people in Garo Hills and the movement has just started which is getting larger every day and till the realisation of Second Capital in Tura and maintenance of equity and justice for A•chik people in case of Roster issue, the voices and echoes in the hills of Garo Hills shall not cease.

Need of reservation policy for vulnerable section: Hek

BJP leader and cabinet minister AL Hek on Friday asserted the need for the reservation policy to give priority to the vulnerable section of the society in the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills region.

“If you ask me, everybody should get justice. Why not now the job reservation policy give priority to the vulnerable society of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo and also some percentage for the established families (of the three tribes). However, 50 per cent should be reserved for Khasi, Jaintia and Garo from the vulnerable section of the society,” Hek told reporters.

He added, “Let this also come out why only think about rich people. Give a chance to the poorest of the poor also (so that they can) at least stand on their feet, have their own position, and look after their family very well.”

Hek said, “Now we are getting 40:40 (from this), we will make it 50 per cent for the vulnerable society of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo and another 30 per cent of which 15 per cent will go Khasi-Jaintia and 15 per cent to Garo. What is wrong as all 80 per cent will go to our own community only. By doing this, the benefit will come to the poor people of the state of Meghalaya who are the tribal people.”

He said there are so many poor people who from generation to generation, their family were not given the opportunity to get a government job.

As far as the implementation of the roster system is concerned, Hek said he had convened a meeting with all senior BJP leaders to discuss this issue.

“We have not called entire leaders of BJP who are from Jaintia Hills, Garo Hills but only few leaders who are stationed in Shillong. Now, we have decided and told our president Ernest Mawrie also yesterday that we want this meeting to be called immediately with all the members including from Garo Hills, Jaintia Hills to discuss this sensitive issue which is prevailing in this present situation in the state of Meghalaya,” he said.

Further, the BJP leader also referred to the deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong’s statement that the government had filed an affidavit three times before the High Court for implementing the roster prospectively and said, “So the government has taken initiative on this issue.”

He said that they expect the chief minister to call the cabinet meeting anytime to discuss this sensitive issue.

Cut off year for roster system should not be 1972: HNYM

Pushing ahead its demand for a review of the Reservation Policy and also moving ahead with the implementation of the roster system, the Hynniewtrep National Youth Movement (HNYM) has demanded that Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma calls for a special session of the State Assembly.

Speaking to media persons today, HNYM President Louis Dohtdong said that they are not against the roster system but it should either be implemented prospectively from the date of the notifying the office memorandum (MO) or it is up to the wisdom of the government with regard to the cut-off year but it should not be from 1972.

Dohtdong expressed concern about the continuous pressure from the Garo Hills region to continue with the implementation of the roster system from the year 1972 and alleged that this is purely biased towards the Garo community.

“We want to make it clear that we are not against the roster system but we are against the cut-off year hence we demand from the Chief Minister to convene a Special Session to review the Reservation policy and on how to go ahead with the roster system,” said Dohtdong.

Dohtdong said that the HNYM also demands from the state government to review and freshly implement the reservation policy as per population as the Khasi-Jaintia community is more when compared to the Garo community.

While condemning the A•chik Conscious Holistic Integrated Krima (ACHIK) for demanding that the cut-off year for the implementation of the Roster System to be 1972, Dohtdong alleged that the Garo Hills-based social organisation is being greedy.

He added that the Garos communities are the ones who have benefited from the reservation policy that allocates 40 per cent for the Khasi-Jaintia category and 40 per cent for Garos.

“The HNYM is ready to come to the streets if the state government continues to implement the roster system from 1972 as this cut-off year is unfair to the Khasi-Jaintia community” he added.

HYC warns govt of MBoSE like situation

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) today warned the state government of an MBoSE-like situation if it fails to address the issue concerning the implementation of the roster system.

“We want to remind the state government that if it fails to address this issue, I am afraid the MBoSE-like situation might happen in the state of Meghalaya. Therefore, we request the government to immediately solve this problem either through the Cabinet or State Assembly or an All-party meeting, we don’t care but what we care is that this issue should be solved once and for all,” HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin told reporters after submitting a memorandum to the Chief Secretary DP Wahlang here for demanding that the roster should be implemented prospectively from 2022 onwards.

“The Chief Secretary has informed us that they will place this matter before the Cabinet and we hope that the cabinet will consider our point of view because we have seen that in social media and even in the streets there is a huge misunderstanding now between the Khasi Jaintia and Garo community,” he said while adding “We don’t want to see that will remain we want to see that the government should step in now and solve this problem because the very purpose of having a government is to solve the problems not to leave problems like this without solving them.”

“Now, if you see the statement, the minister will blame the Court and the Court says it is up to the government to fix the cut-off date I mean the public will feel remediless. Let us hope the government will step in and solve this problem and the moment this problem is solved I think this issue will disappear and our youth both from Khasi-Jaintia and Garo community will start applying for all the jobs,” he asserted.

The memorandum will also be submitted to all ministers and leaders of all political parties for their necessary intervention in the matter.

Kharjahrin informed that in the memorandum, the HYC has demanded that the cut-off date for implementation of the roster system should be prospectively from 2022 since the Meghalaya High Court had clearly stated these are policy matters best left to the executive and the legislature.

“This is also because the Supreme Court in so many of the cases had clearly stated that roster should be implemented prospectively not retrospectively. Therefore, we would like to see if the government decide either through a state legislative Assembly or an All-party meeting or even through the Cabinet because office memorandum (OM) can be changed at the Cabinet level itself,” he added.

He also informed that the Council also demanded that when it comes to a backlog, there should not be any deviation from the policy.

“We have seen some departments now are starting to talk about filling up the backlog posts. What is necessary to understand is that as per the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy, if there is any category that cannot fill up any posts, that category can be filled up by another category and in the next recruitment year there should be some adjustment but if in that recruitment year, that particular category could not fill up that post lapsed, the policy says it so. So when it lapsed how can you now start talking about backlog? Of course, if there are one or three posts which do not lapse yet then you deserve to fill up but when the post already lapses. 1972-1973 posts till 2022 let us be franked they already lapse as so many recruitment years have come one after another. When it comes to backlog we would like to see there should not be any deviation from the policy and there should not be any contradictory to the policy. When the posts lapse it lapses you cannot talk about backlogs.”

“Thirdly, we have seen in the past two-three weeks that there is a recruitment agency both in East Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills where they start giving roster separate for Khasi and Jaintia and Garo categories but if we go as per the policy it says that in district level category there will be 80 per cent for Khasi-Jaintia Hills and 80 per cent for Garo Hills that is what we are following for the past 50 years. When we have a combined Khasi, Jaintia and Garo category at the district level, where is the question now of giving a particular post for Khasi and Jaintia and a particular post for Garo. So this is illegal because the policy does not allow doing so,” Kharjahrin further added.

ACHIK demands cut-off date for roster system

The A·chik Conscious Holistic Integrated Krima (ACHIK) demanded that the cut-off date for implementation of the roster system should be retrospectively from 1972.

In a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, ACHIK said, “(We) would like to reiterate the organization on behalf of the A·chik people openly take a stand that there would not be any compromise on the cutoff date and the organisation maintains the year 1972 to be considered for the roster system of Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy which is a system to bring equity to the injustices met out to the people of A·chik people.”

The organization also warned that “if any injustice is done to A·chik people, the organisation would resort to democratic rallies and demonstrations under the provisions of the Indian Constitution as the mobilisation by the organisation has already started throughout the Garo Hills.”

It also threatened to approach even the Apex court if injustice is meted out to the Achik people during the decisions to be taken by the Cabinet or an All-party meeting on the issue of the roster system.

Meanwhile, the ACHIK also sought the intervention of the deputy chief minister for establishing the winter capital or second capital in Tura.

According to them, the lethargic attitude of the government in establishing the winter capital or second capital in Tura has led the A·chik people to historical marginalization, economic deprivation, social discrimination and political exclusion, etc.