The 5 Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy, constituted by five apex organisations – Angami Public Organisation, Ao Senden, Lotha Hoho, Rengma Hoho and Sumi Hoho – has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister today where it has demanded for “comprehensive review and reformation” to the Nagaland Job Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes to ensure that all tribes get fair opportunities in the government sector.
In its memorandum, the Committee expressed frustration at the overdue review of the Reservation Policy for BTs and demanded either its abolishment 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.
Currently, the job reservation in government sector for BTs stands at 37% with 25% for the seven tribes of Eastern Nagaland and 12% for the remaining four Backward Tribes.
The 5 Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy stated that in the 47 years of Policy’s implementation, “tribes under job reservation have benefited significantly, even surpassing many advanced tribes.” It mentioned that the Policy was supposed to be reviewed every ten years, but in 1989, the government notified that the “existing policy will continue till further orders” which is continuing till date.
The Committee claimed that the State Government had ignored recommendations of various committees on review of the Job Reservation Policy except for some piecemeal implementation that did not cover the concerns flagged by student bodies of (so-called) advanced tribes on duration of reservation, internal reservation, discrimination arising out of multiple benefits and flexible options for BT’s, creamy layers, discrepancies in entry age, backlog reserved posts etc.
“With an indefinite reservation system in place without proper review, it poses a serious risk of economic imbalance and discrimination among the Scheduled Tribes in Nagaland, leading to inequality and social unrest,” the 5 Tribes Committee stated.
