Shillong, May 17: Voice of the People Party (VPP) chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Wednesday asked the people to come out in large numbers on May 18, to further pressurize the state government that it should immediately review the state reservation policy.

The appeal was made during a sit-in-demonstration organized by the party as a mark of protest against the state government’s adamant attitude towards the demand to put on hold all recruitment processes till the state reservation policy is reviewed.

“It’s not a fight against any community, it’s a fight against injustice,” – read one of the placards displayed by protesters during the sit-in held at the parking lot near the Additional Secretariat here.

The party has also threatened to intensify its agitations if there is no positive outcome in the upcoming All-party meeting convened by the state government on May 18.

“I urge the people, who are supporting this demand, to come out and assemble in large numbers here in this protest venue (on May 18) to ensure the reservation policy is immediately reviewed,” Basaiawmoit said.

Speaking to reporters after the protest, the VPP president said, “As a party, we feel it would be proper for us to assemble again at this place (protest venue) on the day when the government decide to hold an all-party meeting because we want that the outcome of that meeting should be to review the reservation policy.”

“That is our stand, that is our demand because the problem that the unemployed youth of the state are facing originated from the reservation policy,” he added.

When asked, Basaiawmoit referred to the ratio of proportion between the Khasis and the Garos since 1971 and said, “The statistics indicated that the Khasi community is always higher than the Garo community by 15% average. Therefore, we feel that this policy is not proportionate and it should have been done proportionately so that we will have a policy which is just and fair. We don’t want to take the rights of our Garo brothers and sisters neither do we want to sacrifice our own rights.”

He said with the coming of this roster system, it further aggravates the situation and the problems faced by the unemployed youths

Stating that all reservation policies in the entire India is based on demography, Basaiawmoit said, “We have expressed that we would look forward to a policy that is proportionate so it depends on the government. I think the message is clear.”

Further, the Nongkrem legislator said that going by population, the percentage of reservation should be more for the Khasis.

“Supposed if the population of the Khasis is 47 so how can you reserve only 40 only and if the population of the Garos is 32 how can you reserve 40 for them. They are getting more by 7-8 percent and we are getting less by 7-8 percent. Therefore, we feel that this policy is not right,” he said.

On the government’s failure to heed the VPP’s demand to put on hold all recruitment process, Basaiawmoit said, “Which is why we decided to assemble again on May 18 on this venue this place to send a very clear message to the government that the people are supporting the VPP as far as our demand to review the reservation policy.”

He further warned that the VPP will be compelled to intensify its agitations if the government continues to remain adamant in its attitude towards the demand and said, “We will intensify our agitational programmes which we will announce at the right time.”