Shillong: Meghalaya is auditing the 1951 Scheduled Tribe Order. The state government formed a high-level committee to figure out if tribal people from other Northeast states should keep getting local welfare benefits. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong leads the group. They will weigh the legal and social fallout of current policies.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma greenlit the study after the Khasi Students Union pressed the issue. The union handed over a memorandum on June 8. They want state quotas locked to people native to Meghalaya. They argue that Naga, Mizo, and Bodo candidates currently soak up opportunities meant for local youth.
KSU president Raymond Kharjana spoke plainly about the group's stance after meeting with the Chief Minister. "We have observed that tribal communities from other states are availing themselves of the same privileges as the indigenous people of Meghalaya," Kharjana said. The union plans to watch the committee closely. They want to ensure the state protects rights for its own people. The committee must now decide if the 1951 framework needs a total overhaul.
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