Five Nagaland tribes demand abolition of job reservation policy

DIMAPUR — Five tribes of Nagaland have asked the state government to either abolish the Nagaland Job Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes, or reserve the remaining “unreserved quota” for the five tribes exclusively.

This demand was contained in a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Sep. 20 by a committee comprising representatives of Angami Public Organisation, Ao Senden, Lotha Hoho, Rengma Hoho, and Sumi Hoho. 

“The Nagaland Job Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes has been in effect for the past 47 years, during which tribes under job reservation have benefited significantly, even surpassing many advanced tribes. The job reservation policy was supposed to be reviewed every ten years, but in 1989, the govt. notified that the ‘existing policy will continue till further orders’ which is continuing till date.

“The recommendations of various committees for review of Reservation Policy set up by the state govt. in the past have been kept in cold storage except for some piecemeal implementation. Core issues like duration of reservation, internal reservation, discrimination arising out of multiple benefits & flexible options for BTs, creamy layers, discrepancies in entry age, backlog reserved posts etc., have been left untouched despite several representations in the past by student bodies of (so-called) advanced tribes,” the letter read.

According to the committee, an indefinite reservation system without proper review poses a serious risk of economic imbalance and discrimination among the Scheduled Tribes in Nagaland, leading to inequality and social unrest.

“Taking all these core issues into consideration and since the state govt. has turned a deaf ear to the interest of non-backward tribes by failing to undertake comprehensive review and reformation of the reservation policy, we submit this memorandum demanding abolishment/scrapping of Nagaland Job Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes, or that the remaining unreserved quota be reserved exclusively for five tribes which constitute nearly 55% of the Scheduled Tribe population in Nagaland, if not more.

“This is to ensure that all tribes receive fair opportunities and that the principles of meritocracy and equality are upheld,” it stated.