Shillong, Jan 29: The Achik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM) has reacted sharply to the demand for revision of job reservation policy in the state. While expressing opposition to any such move, it said the demand is a ‘political gimmick’ which threatens the law and order in the state.

In a statement in Friday, AHAM chief Georgeprince Ch Momin termed the demand as political gimmick and political stunts which seeks to threaten the law and order of the state and even asserted the need to nip such attempts in the bud.

“Therefore, we request the present government not to entertain the political stunts and remarks to scrap policies which are being maintained for (past) 50 years of statehood,” he said while maintaining that the organization will fight for status quo in the implementation of the reservation policy.

His statement came in the wake of the growing demand for reviewing the state reservation policy by having equitable distribution of the quota between Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Tribes. Currently, Garos have 40% quota and Khasi-Jaintia together have another 40% reservation in government jobs in the State. Barilang Pyngrope, an agriculture student, has called for a signature campaign on January 29, to pressurize the government to review the policy.

The issue was also one of the four demands put forth by the KHNAM legislator Adelbert Nongrum in his just concluded five-day sit-in-demonstration.

Momin however said his organization strongly condemned activities and voices that are trying to flare up communal violence.

He also reminded that the reservation policy was an agreement when the state was carved out for the three sister tribes and said, “We would like to honour our legendary leaders who had decided (this) in the best interest of the people of the state.”

“The policy scripted, enacted and sealed should at best be fought at the policy level which the democratic Constitution of India provides rather at the streets which at best would only generate disturbances of the communal harmony of the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, the AHAM president said that the state government is yet to implement a Winter Assembly and Additional Secretariat in Tura, which was part of the agreement when the state was carved out.

“We would like to see the present government realizing the agreement which was 50 years ago, where the government of the state functions 6 months from Tura and 6 months from Shillong,” he said while adding that the organization would soon organize a signature campaign and hold rallies and agitations at full scale in coming days to ensure the agreement is implemented in letter and spirit.