CSU, PSU & ZLSU plea against scrapping reservation policy

Chakeshang Students’ Union (CSU), Pochury Students’ Union (PSU) and Zeliang Students’ Union Nagaland (ZLSU) have strongly condemned the demand made by five tribes committee to abolish the reservation policy in Nagaland.
In a representation to the chief minister by their respective presidents, the three student bodies said such a drastic step would be unjustified and lacked any evidence to support the claim that the backward tribes (BTs) had attained parity with the advanced tribes of Nagaland. On the contrary, they claimed that empirical observations revealed that BTs continued to lag behind in terms of education, employment, and socio-economic development.
Also expressing their strong resentment and opposition to the demand for reserving the remaining percentage exclusively for the five tribes, they maintained that the proposal was devoid of any statistical or logical rationale.
They cautioned that such a move would not only be discriminatory but also create unnecessary divisions and resentment among the various communities in Nagaland, claiming that the principle of reservation was grounded on the idea of uplifting those who were historically disadvantaged.
They urged the chief minister to consider their arguments and take necessary steps to reinforce the reservation policy. They said it was crucial that the policy strengthened, not weakened, to ensure that it served its original purpose of delivering justice and promoting the socio-economic advancement of the BTs.
According to them, a more robust and effectively implemented reservation policy would help bridge the gap between the BTs and other communities, ensuring that all citizens of Nagaland had an equal opportunity to thrive.
The three student bodies also trashed the idea of introducing a “creamy layer” system in Nagaland as outright absurd and irrelevant, as the BTs even today suffered from social and educational backwardness, and not merely economic disadvantage.
Noting that the societal structure in Nagaland was distinct, they argued that introducing sub-classification within the tribes would only complicate the matter creating further disunity and fragmentation within the Naga society.
While the reservation policy had been in existence for many years, they alleged that it had not been implemented with the rigor and commitment it required. Though the primary objective of the policy was to uplift and empower BTs, providing them with opportunities to participate meaningfully in the socio-economic and administrative framework of the state, they lamented that the reality showed that the desired outcomes had not been achieved.
They claimed that many individuals from BTs continued to face barriers in accessing government jobs, educational opportunities, and other benefits meant for them, adding that the lack of effective implementation had perpetuated the marginalisation of these communities rather than alleviating them.
They pointed out that a glaring indicator of the ineffective implementation was the gross under-representation of BT members in government jobs, particularly in Nagaland Civil Secretariat and various directorates. Despite the policy’s provision for reservation, they claimed a significant number of posts, especially in Grade-IV category, remained unfilled by individuals from BTs.
They maintained that this situation was not merely an administrative oversight but a reflection of systemic exclusion.
Further, they alleged that there had been numerous backdoor appointments in various government departments over the years bypassing the standard recruitment procedures of open advertisements.
They said these appointments had often been made without adhering to the reservation policy, thereby depriving eligible BT candidates of their rightful opportunities.
CSU, PSU and ZLSU argued that if a review of the reservation policy had to be done, it should be based on concrete data and a thorough analysis of the current state of employment across all government departments.
They proposed that the government commission a comprehensive statistical analysis of the representation of BTs in various levels of government employment, from Grade-IV positions to higher administrative posts, before any decision was made.
They reasoned that such an approach would provide a factual basis for any proposed reforms, ensuring that these were aligned with the principle of equity.
Additionally, they suggested the government take necessary steps to ensure the strict enforcement of all existing orders and notifications related to the reservation policy.
Asserting that the policy had been a cornerstone for addressing socio-economic inequalities faced by the BTs, they maintained that any attempt to dilute its provisions would be detrimental to the BT community.
The student bodies said they trusted in the chief minister’s leadership to uphold the principles of social and natural justice, ensuring that the BTs were not left behind in the pursuit of progress and development.