Shillong, May 29: Opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) chief and Nongkrem legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit has refused to accept the government’s decision to include him as a member of the Committee on Reservation Roster.
A letter in this regard was handed over to the Chairperson of the Committee and cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, who chaired the first meeting of the committee here on Monday.
“…I refuse to be a member of your committee. The Voice of the People Party is of the firm view that there should be a review of the job reservation policy before any discussion on the roster system is made. When the reservation policy is seriously flawed and unfair, discussion and implementation of the roster on its basis is bound to be a flawed one,” Basaiawmoit said in the letter.
The VPP chief has been fasting for the past seven days to pressurize the state government to immediately review the 1972 job reservation policy.
Speaking to reporters, party legislator from Mawlai Brightstar Marbaniang said that the government, despite knowing the mind of the VPP had gone ahead included Basaiawmoit in the Committee on Roster.
“But we have handed over the letter today expressing that we don’t want to be part of the committee on the basis of our stand that we won’t discuss the roster system without discussing or reviewing the reservation policy,” he said.
He further informed that there has been no official communication from the government so far.
Basaiawmoit has maintained that he would not leave the protest venue till the government agrees to the demand of the VPP for reviewing of the “outdated” job policy.
On the deputy chief minister Sniawbhalang Dhar’s statement that even other opposition parties are not supporting the VPP’s demand, Marbaniang said it does not matter whether the other political parties support the VPP or not but “the party has pledged before the people that we are going to fight even though others don’t support us”.
According to him, the VPP has a clear ideology and has a clear manifesto.
