Guwahati: Nagaland’s Five Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy has announced a phased, peaceful protest against the state government, citing its failure to address a 30-day deadline to review the existing job reservation policy for backward tribes.
The decision follows a consultative meeting of the committee and other community-based organizations in Chumoukedima on Saturday, regarding the government’s failure to address the deadline.
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The committee represents the apex bodies of the Angami, Ao, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi tribes – namely the Angami Public Organisation, Ao Senden, Lotha Hoho, Rengma Hoho, and Sumi Hoho.
The Five Tribes Committee Review of Reservation Policy served the ultimatum to the Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio-led government on April 26, and it will expire on May 25, 2025.
“Our core demand is to either scrap the reservation policy altogether or allocate the remaining unreserved quota to the five tribes,” stated G.K. Zhimomi, the committee’s secretary.
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He stated that the committee is not against any tribe benefiting from the policy but believes a review of the 48-year-old policy is long overdue because of the vastly different scenario now.
Zhimomi cited the government’s past failure to review the policy in 1987, which led to a 1989 order continuing the reservation until further notice.
Notably, the 30-day ultimatum follows a memorandum submitted to the State government on September 20, 2024, requesting the review.
Meanwhile, student bodies representing three communities recognized as Backward Tribes (BTs) – the Chakhesang Students’ Union, Zeliang Students’ Union, and Pochury Students’ Union- have voiced strong opposition to the five-tribe committee’s demands.
They insist that diluting the current policy would negatively impact marginalized communities.
The unions asserted that the reservation policy has been ‘a cornerstone for addressing socio-economic inequalities’ faced by BTs and that any dilution or scrapping would deprive beneficiary communities of crucial job opportunities.
In August 2024, Chief Minister Rio informed the Nagaland Assembly that the reservation for BTs began in 1977.
The current policy reserves 37% of non-technical and non-gazetted jobs for them, and it divides the quota into 25% for seven Eastern Nagaland BTs and 12% for four other BTs.