Shillong, July 15: Dr. Mizanur Rahman Kazi, the MLA of Rajabala Constituency, has called for the recognition of the indigenous ‘Deshi Muslims’ of the Garo Hills as Other Backward Class (OBC) and requested a 5% reservation for them.

The MLA submitted a memorandum to Justice (Retd) M.C. Garg, Chairman of the Expert Committee on the State Reservation Policy in Meghalaya, on Monday.

Kazi highlighted the rich historical and socio-cultural heritage of the Deshi Muslims, tracing their roots back to the medieval period when the region was integrated into the Mughal Empire. He emphasized the continuous settlement of Muslims in the Plain Belt of the Garo Hills since then, pointing out significant historical figures and sites, such as the grave of Mughal military General Mir Jumla near Ampati and the Dargah Sharif of Hazrat Peer Shah Kamal Baba in Mahendraganj.

“The socio-economic conditions of the indigenous Deshi Muslims of the Plain Belt are pathetic. The predominantly agrarian community is significantly lagging behind in all aspects of socio-economic development and are perhaps the most economically disadvantaged community in the state,” Kazi stated in his memorandum.

Talking to the media after submitting the memorandum, Kazi said, “I had submitted some suggestions regarding the ongoing reservation impasse. Reservation per se is a complex matter. I’ve tried to depict the history of the people of the Plain Belt of Garo Hills.”

He added, “I have a submission regarding their ancestral details. So, I hope the committee takes care of it in a positive note and the people, especially the Plain Belt people, get the benefit of it.”

The Rajabala Legislator further elaborated on the historical context, saying, “The main issue is the origination of the people of the Plain Belt area. If we go way back to 1600 AD, we can see that those Plain Belt people were there on or before 1600 AD. History suggests that during the Mughal era, the Muslims of that Plain Belt area were not migrants from anywhere. They have been living there since the creation of the place, before Meghalaya was born, during undivided Assam, and prior to that during the Mughal era.”

When asked about the specifics of his request, Kazi said, “I have two issues in that. One is identifying the community as the ‘Other Backward Class’ community, looking at their socio-economic status and other factors. Secondly, I have requested a 5% reservation for them.”

Regarding the issue of reservation quota between the Khasi Hills and Garo Hills, Dr. Kazi remarked, “Whatever reservations the Khasi brothers, Jaintia brothers, and Garo brothers are already enjoying, I’m not going into that. There is a general pool. My suggestion cum request was to identify these people as an OBC class and provide them 5% from the general pool.”

Notably, in response to a 10-day hunger strike led by Voice of the People Party (VPP) leader Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit in May last year, which garnered widespread public support in Khasi-Jaintia Hills, the state government established an Expert Committee to review the Meghalaya State Reservation Policy of 1972. The committee was formed to examine and recommend revisions to the policy, which has been in place for many decades.

Also Read: Tragedy strikes Jolgaongre Village: Man killed by wild elephant in South West Garo Hills

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