Meghalaya backs extension of SC/ST reservation for another decade

Newmai News Network
Shillong, Jan 20: The Meghalaya Assembly on Monday unanimously ratified the 126th amendment Bill-2019 of the Constitution which proposes to extend quota to SCs/STs in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies by another 10 years.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma moved the government resolution for ratification of the Constitution 126th amendment Bill-2019 during the one-day special assembly session.
The amendment will pave the way to extend reservations for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies of the States for a period of another 10 years till January 25, 2030.
The Constitution 126th Amendment Bill had already been passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on December 10 and 12, 2019, respectively.
Taking part in the discussion today, leader of opposition Dr Mukul Sangma expressed his concern over the fact that the reservation has been extended only for the next ten years.
According to Dr Sangma, the House needs to stand united and articulate this apprehension even as he said that from this particular amendment Bill, reservations for Anglo-Indians in Parliament and state assemblies have been done away with.
“As a House, keeping in mind that we belong to a vulnerable group, a voice should emanate as far as period of extension is concerned. Should we again lobby around after the expiry of the extension period or let it lapse?” the leader of opposition said.
Congress legislator from Mawsynram, Himalaya Shangpliang meanwhile opined that ten years is too short a time to expect the tribals of the state and the country to come up to the level of expectations of the government.
According to Shangpliang, the tribals are still lacking in many sectors like, health, education, employment and housing.
Umroi legislator from Congress George B Lyngdoh meanwhile pointed out that the tribals of the state are deprived of jobs in central government institutions despite 44 percent of jobs being reserved for STs.
While expressing his support for the bill, Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) legislator from North Shillong, Adelbert Nongrum said, “However, political representation alone will not suffice if the government of India does not support and ensure economic and social progress of the SC and ST communities.”
Nongrum said that the recent decision of the government of India to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries and the likelihood of those acquiring such citizenship settling in the region, particular those from Bangladesh, will alter the demography of the region and severely jeopardise and threaten the political security of the tribals across all the tribal majority states in the region.
“So on the one hand, the government of India is ensuring continuous representation of tribal in the legislature through reservation vide the 126th Constitutional Amendment bill, while at the same time undermining the tribal character of states in the region through the CAA,” the KHNAM legislator said.
Nongrum expressed his fear that once the demography changes and the tribals become a minority, the indigenous people will then lose the political security they enjoy today.
He also batted for the Centre maintaining special funding mechanism for the state as was done in the past. “Restore the special category status of central funding to Meghalaya as measures to protect and promote political, economic and social justice for the tribal population of the state,” he said.
He also urged that the House to pass a resolution demanding the Centre to fully exempt the application of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 to Meghalaya and also implement Inner Line Permit.
In his reply, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that amendment to Article 334 is required every ten years.
According to the Chief Minister, under Article 334, the reservation was originally required to cease by 1960 but has been extended every decade since then.
“There has been a practice to extend every ten years. This is not something which has happened out of the blue,” Conrad said.
While pointing out that the dwindling of numbers to only 295 at present has prompted the Centre to remove the reservation for Anglo-Indians.
On the other hand, Conrad pointed out that there are 10.43 crore tribals which constitute 8.6 percent of the country’s population while Scheduled Castes consists 16.6 percent of the total population.
The Chief Minister also said that due to the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission which increased the devolution of taxes to states from 32 percent to 42 percent funding for certain schemes has stopped at certain points.
He however said that the Meghalaya government has taken up the issue of funding schemes under Special Plan Assistance with the Centre.