The 5 Tribes Committee, consisting of representatives from the Angami Public Organisation, Ao Senden (AS), Lotha Hoho (LH), Rengma Hoho (RH), and Sumi Hoho (SH), has submitted a memorandum to the chief minister, demanding an immediate review and reform of the state’s job reservation policy for backward tribes.
In the memorandum, the committee highlighted that the current Nagaland Job Reservation Policy has been in effect for 47 years without substantial review. The committee pointed out that the tribes under job reservation have benefited significantly, even surpassing most of the advanced tribes.
Initially intended for periodic evaluation every ten years, they said the reservation system has continued unchanged since 1989, when the government issued a notification stating that the “existing policy will continue till further orders.”
The committee highlighted that the past recommendations from various committees set up by the state government to review the reservation policy have been kept in cold storage except for some piecemeal implementations. Critical issues such as the duration of reservations, internal reservations, discrimination caused by multiple benefits and flexible options for backward tribes (BTs), the concept of “creamy layers,” discrepancies in entry age, and backlog of reserved posts have not been adequately addressed despite repeated representations by student bodies of the so-called advanced tribes.
The committee warned that the continuation of an indefinite reservation system without proper review poses a significant risk of economic imbalance and discrimination among the Scheduled Tribes in Nagaland. This, they argued, could lead to increasing inequality and potential social unrest.
Considering these core issues, and in light of the state government’s failure to conduct a comprehensive review of the policy, the committee has called for the abolishment or scrapping of the Nagaland Job Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes.
Alternatively, they demanded that the remaining unreserved quota be reserved exclusively for five tribes– constituting nearly 55% of the Scheduled Tribe population in Nagaland, if not more—to ensure fair opportunities for all and uphold the principles of meritocracy and equality.
The signatories of the memorandum included Er. Tesinla Semy (convenor & RH representative), Zhatuo Kimho (APO representative), Limaakum Jamir (AS representative), Zuchumo Mozhui (LH representative), and GK Zhimomi (member secretary & SH representative).
The committee called for a fair and equal distribution of opportunities for all tribes and urged the government to uphold the principles of meritocracy and equality in the state.