ITANAGAR, AUG 14:
An indefinite bandh called by community-based organisations (CBOs), students’ unions and NGOs of Lekang Circle in Namsai district began at 5 am on Friday over their demand for protection of government employment opportunities for domicile and resident certificate holders, with protesters warning that a legal challenge to the state’s reservation policy could have far-reaching consequences.
The organisations are enforcing road blockades at Banka Bridge, Bordumsa Gate and Dirak Gate as part of the agitation.
Horojit Morang, a leader of the protesting organisations questioned the Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet’s recent decision on uniform eligibility criteria for government recruitment, describing it as “unconstitutional” and warning that litigation could put the state’s existing reservation arrangement under judicial scrutiny.
“If tomorrow somebody files a PIL and the reservation is struck down or reduced to 50:50, the unions and organisations which demanded such changes will have to take responsibility,” the leader said.
Morang claimed that both the state government and the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) were aware of the possible legal implications.
Citing the Supreme Court’s landmark 1992 judgment in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, the leader said the nine-judge bench had laid down a general 50 per cent ceiling on reservations while upholding 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes in public employment.
“We will not take the matter to court for now. Our demand is that reservation and employment protection must be ensured for the people of Lekang. If this is not done, we will take democratic steps,” he said.
The protesting organisations had also submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pema Khandu on August 12 seeking inclusion of domicile certificate-holding candidates of Lekang Circle as eligible candidates for government employment in the state.
In the memorandum, the organisations said the existing 80:20 reservation arrangement provided 80 per cent of vacancies for APST candidates and 20 per cent for non-APST candidates.
They said a section of indigenous and original inhabitants of Lekang Circle did not possess APST certificates but held valid domicile or resident certificates issued by competent authorities. They cited historical land records and survey records, including those relating to the 1968 land survey, in support of their claim.
The organisations expressed apprehension that if the existing 80:20 arrangement was scrapped and government employment made exclusively available to APST candidates, domicile certificate-holding candidates from Lekang could become ineligible for state government employment.
They urged the government to ensure that genuine domicile or resident certificate holders of Lekang are not deprived of recruitment opportunities solely because they do not possess APST certificates.
The memorandum also sought an appropriate provision or category for eligible domicile certificate holders of Lekang in any revised recruitment or reservation policy and requested the government and the Joint High-Powered Committee to examine the area’s historical records, domicile status and circumstances before finalising the policy.
The agitation comes after the Cabinet headed by Khandu approved uniform eligibility criteria for direct recruitment to Group A, B and C posts, making permanent residence, APST or indigenous status and proficiency in at least one indigenous tribal language mandatory requirements.
The APPSC and APSSB have been directed to incorporate the new eligibility provisions in future recruitment processes. (Source: NewsFY)
