SHILLONG : The Hynniewtrep National Youth Movement (HNYM) has opposed the demand to introduce the Garo language at the district level in the seven districts of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region.
A delegation of the HNYM Central Executive Committee, led by its president Louis Dohtdong, met Meghalaya Governor CH Vijayashankar on October 6, 2026, and urged him not to give approval to the demand raised by sections of the Garo community.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Dohtdong said the demand to introduce the Garo language at the district level in Khasi-Jaintia Hills was linked to concerns over access to employment opportunities for Khasi and Jaintia youths.
He said the organisation had raised the matter with the Governor and sought clarity on the implications of the demand for local employment and reservation at the district level.
According to Dohtdong, Clause 2.2 of the reservation policy clearly provides that 80% of district-level opportunities in Khasi-Jaintia districts are meant for candidates belonging to the respective districts.
He said that if the same principle were applied in Garo Hills, 80% of district-level opportunities there would similarly be reserved for candidates belonging to those districts.
Dohtdong maintained that the same principle should be followed in Khasi-Jaintia areas and argued that candidates from the Garo Hills should not be allowed to claim district-level opportunities in Khasi-Jaintia districts at the expense of local youths.
The HNYM president said the organisation would continue to oppose any move that, in its view, could affect employment opportunities available to Khasi and Jaintia youths under the existing district-level reservation framework.