SHILLONG : Hajong organisations in Meghalaya have urged the state government to immediately correct the online recruitment portal of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, saying the existing reservation category wrongly identifies the Hajong community and creates confusion for eligible candidates applying for government jobs.
The demand was jointly raised by the Hajong Students’ Union (Central Executive Committee), the Meghalaya Hajong Welfare Association (MHWA) and the Hajong Students & Youth Voice (HSYV)–Federation Council through formal representations submitted to the department.
According to the organisations, the recruitment portal currently provides separate reservation options for “ST (Khasi & Jaintia)” and “ST (Garo)”, but does not include a dedicated category for the Hajong community. Instead, Hajong applicants are required to select “Newly recognised tribes of Meghalaya other than Khasi, Jaintia & Garo,” a classification they said is factually and constitutionally incorrect.
The organisations maintained that the Hajong community has been recognised as a Scheduled Tribe under the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, and has continued to enjoy that status since Meghalaya became a state in 1972.
“Categorising Hajongs under the ‘newly recognised tribes’ category is historically inaccurate, constitutionally misleading and creates unnecessary confusion for eligible candidates seeking government employment,” the representation stated. They also pointed out that the Hajong community had contributed to the Meghalaya Hill State Movement, noting that several Hajong leaders and volunteers were officially honoured by the state government during Meghalaya’s Golden Jubilee celebrations for their role in the movement.
Apart from seeking a separate “Scheduled Tribe (Hajong)” option in the recruitment portal, the organisations have asked the government to correct the existing category, issue an official corrigendum and ensure that applicants who may have selected the wrong category because of the present portal are not placed at a disadvantage.
A copy of the representation has also been forwarded to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in New Delhi, requesting its intervention to safeguard the constitutional rights and recognised tribal identity of the Hajong community.
The organisations said they expect the state government to address the issue at the earliest to ensure equal treatment of all Scheduled Tribe communities and maintain transparency in future recruitment processes.