Shillong, May 9 : The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has defended its decision to stay away from the recent all-party meeting on Meghalaya’s reservation policy, saying the move was deliberate, principled and politically conscious rather than irresponsible.
In a press release issued on May 9, the party responded to criticism following reports that Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma had questioned VPP’s absence from the discussion on the reservation issue.
The VPP stated that the most appropriate and constitutional platform to discuss the findings of the Expert Committee on the reservation policy was the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, not an all-party meeting.
According to the party, the government avoided a “serious and comprehensive discussion” inside the Assembly and instead shifted the matter to a political meeting involving parties.The party reiterated that its primary demand has always been a review and revision of the reservation policy based on population ratio.
The VPP also criticised the Expert Committee, claiming the panel treated the issue as “sensitive” and avoided recommending major reforms.“The VPP cannot accept such an argument because justice and fairness cannot be indefinitely denied under the pretext of sensitivity,” the statement said.The party further argued that the all-party meeting appeared more like a political formality than a genuine attempt to resolve the issue.
Related : Wailadmiki Shylla targets VPP, says Reservation issue still unresolved, questions new protest
According to the VPP, many of the parties participating in the meeting are directly or indirectly associated with the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.The statement also claimed that the Congress party had accepted the recommendations of the Expert Committee, leading the VPP to believe that the meeting was structured more to dilute the demand for reform rather than seriously address it.
The VPP maintained that its decision to skip the meeting was intentional and based on political reasoning.At the same time, the party said it remains committed to protecting the welfare and rights of indigenous communities in Meghalaya.
The VPP further stated that if the government genuinely decides to increase the Khasi-Jaintia reservation quota to 47 percent, the party would welcome the move and give full credit to the government.
However, the party accused the Chief Minister of being misleading in his criticism, arguing that the real issue is not attendance at meetings but whether the government is truly serious about correcting what it described as an imbalance in the reservation system.
The statement was signed by VPP spokesperson Dr. Airpeace W Rani.