SHILLONG, Dec 10 ? The Meghalaya Government has called upon the Khasi Students? Union (KSU) to settle its grievances through negotiation rather than take to the path of agitation, a day after the Union called for a bandh on December 14 next.
The KSU has called a 24-hour bandh in three districts of Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya from 6 p.m. on December 14 to protest the government?s alleged failure to fulfill its long-pending demands on reservation policy and influx issues besides the move to mine uranium in the West Khasi Hills.
Reacting to the bandh call, the state home minister HDR Lyngdoh on Wednesday said that it would not solve the problem. The Government was ready to hold talks with any organisation for the welfare and benefit of the people of the state, he iterated. Emphasising that the KSU should air their grievances through a ?proper forum?, the home minister said that the government was ready to negotiate with the student body for finding solutions to its charter of demands.
On the demand for review of the existing 32-year old job reservation policy in the State, Lyngdoh said the government would take a decision in this regard after discussion. The KSU, however, was yet to respond to the government?s call for negotiation.
The Union has been demanding introduction of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the State to check the unabated influx of outsiders and foreign nationals. Besides this, it has also been consistent with its demand for a review of the job reservation policy based on demographic consideration.
However, taking a diametrically opposite stand to that of the KSU on the contentious issue, the Garo Students? Union (GSU) has iterated its stand on maintaining status quo on the present reservation policy in Meghalaya.
GSU general secretary James Shira had said on an earlier occasion that the view of the Union was that the existing reservation policy of 40% for Garos should be continued with as the people of Garo Hills are backward compared to the Khasis and Jaintias. The Union had earlier submitted a memorandum to chief minister D.D. Lapang urging the government to maintain status quo on the issue.