CPO panel seeks quota reform to redress imbalance

Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO) reiterated its October 17, 2010, standing demand for a total review of the Backward Tribes (BT) reservation policy notification of January 11, 1977, asserting that the current policy framework was “outdated” and no longer serves the intended objective of equity and fair representation.
In a press release, CPO’s Committee on Job Reservation (CJR) convenor a Dr. Chotisuh Sazo and secretary Theja Therieh pointed out that the reservation was originally intended to be in force for a period of ten years, to support tribes that were educationally and economically very backward and had insignificant representation in government services.
Calling for review by an Independent Commission with maximum autonomy, CPO committee stated that such a commission should be composed of professionals with specialisation in the subject, diverse expertise, and transparent approach.
The commission, it said, should conduct a comprehensive review covering all existing tribes in the state– both reserved and unreserved– to establish an objective benchmark.
According to the committee, the parameters of the proposed review should include up-to-date statistics, latest population data in consonance with tribe-wise employment figures, and intensive economic surveys reports to provide an authentic standard reference point to determine the up-to-date status of post-reservation and redefine the existing categories to provide fair and proportionate reservation system.
The panel expressed concern that over the years, successive state governments have issued multiple notifications, resulting in arbitrary sub-classifications and piecemeal reservations within the already classified category.
These changes, it said, were made without conducting the mandatory policy review as required under the original notification, thereby depriving some deserving tribes of equal and proportionate reservation.
It cited the formation of three committees– Banuo Z. Jamir Committee (2007), Khriele Kevichüsa Committee (2008), and Temjen Toy Committee (2010)– to study the reservation issue. However, the panel lamented that the findings of these committees were never tabled before the Nagaland Legislative Assembly nor translated into policy amendments or review.
Therefore, CJR stated that the BT reservation policy had suffered several casualties before achieving its objectives.
CJR said it had highlighted the concerns of roster policy and guidelines that were devoid of meritocracy in the policy of recruiting the best candidates for the state services in consonance with existing policy.
It noted that the absence of cut-off marks in the recruitment process has compromised the overall quality of government employees.
Further, CJR pointed out that the provisions of the roster policy has disabled the Recruitment Commission from recommending qualified candidates in some technical posts due to lack of candidates from a particular tribe resulting in indefinite backlogs in some departments.
This prolonged stalemate, CJR stated, was a result of policy paralysis wherein posts are reserved for a specific tribe and allowed to carry over the post indefinitely, depriving other qualified candidates to avail such positions.
CJR further pointed out that Chakhesang tribe was the only backward tribe excluded from the benefits extended by the Directorate of Underdeveloped Areas (DUDA), despite several areas in the district– particularly the Tizü range, has been projected among the most backward areas in the State.
While the accepting job reservation benefits, CJR claimed that the community was deprived of all other benefits such as the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) and Border Area Fund, which were extended to all other BTs and some advanced tribes.
They claimed that the Chakhesangs today were struggling to achieve economic sustainability and would continue to do so, yet they still lacked job parity with other privileged groups. Despite availing job reservation for decades, the Chakhesangs were not progressing well.
The Chakhesangs with a population of approximately 1,54,874 enjoyed a mere 2% and 3% till 2011 and 4% of reserved seats. They argued that this meagre percentage shared with those tribes having an average 50,000 population was a brutal violation of the reservation policy by the arbitrary roster policy devoid of meritocracy. They said there were several instances where meritorious candidates qualified for the general category were placed under reserved seats, depriving the quota to the deserving candidates from the same community.
They claimed that Angami, Ao, Lotha, Phom, Sangtam, Sumi, and Pochury tribes had employee percentage higher than population percentage, while Chakhesang, Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Rengma, Yimchunger (Yimkhiung), Tikhir and Zeliang tribes had employee percentage less than the population percentage.
The Chakhesangs, one of the recognised tribes in Nagaland, comprised the highest number of sub-tribes among other tribes and were acknowledged to be in a tremendous situation and condition, thereby suffering educationally and economically, and having insignificant representation in government services. Faced with such a situation, CJR said the state government, as the first major step in favour of similarly situated tribes, had provided job reservation within the meaning of Article 16(4) of the Constitution of India by issuing a notification (no. APB1/24/64, dated 25 July 1966). The notification stipulated that preference should be given to candidates who knew one of the Naga dialects in Nagaland under the special provisions of the State of Nagaland Act, 1962.
The Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) was the primary body responsible for conducting recruitment for various government positions within Nagaland, playing a crucial role in ensuring a fair and merit-based selection process for candidates seeking civil service and departmental posts. However, they lamented that in the last 59 years of its existence the commission had suffered inequitable representation and failed to maintain tribal parity in its composition.
According to CJR, the existing establishment had faced stagnation, leaving room for unholy alliances, making the process questionable. They urged the state government to overhaul the entire structure and system that would maintain confidence and trust of the people for equity and justice to all.
They said Nagaland was popularly known for its backdoor, ad hoc, contract, and various contingency appointments, which were eventually regularised into permanent services of the state. They alleged that all such appointments were at the disposal of authorities in the helm of state affairs, mostly belonging to the advanced communities.
Pointing out that these practices for several decades had given rise to huge gaps between the privileged and underprivileged sections in the society, CJR said the situation had arrived once again, and the government had a humongous task ahead to correct the wrongs and take restorative measures to deliver justice and equity to the deserving sections of our society.