Mopong Hongkong Students’ Union supports population-based job reservation policy

DIMAPUR — The Mopong Hongkong Students’ Union (MHSU) has extended support to the representation submitted by the Konyak Students’ Union (KSU) to the state government on June 13, 2025, seeking a review and reform of the current Backward Tribe Job Reservation Policy.

In a press statement, the MHSU stated that the policy must be revised and restructured on the basis of population ratio in order to ensure fairness and justice for every community.

According to the union, the existing arrangement, which grants an equal 4% quota to each tribe, has unfairly disadvantaged larger tribes such as the Konyak.

Despite being one of the most populous tribes, the Konyaks continue to be deprived under this system of unequal opportunities.

It highlighted that the economy of Mon district is fragile, depending mainly on salaried workers. In many villages, daily wages are as low as INR 100 to INR 200, whereas in urban hubs like Dimapur and Kohima, labourers earn between INR 800 and INR 1,000 or more per day. As a result, village youths are compelled to migrate to urban areas in search of survival, leaving their native villages without young people.

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The union added that this lack of opportunities has led to growing social challenges in rural areas. Many young people are drawn into insurgent groups, abandon their education, or fall prey to substance abuse. Parents, struggling with poverty, are even forced to send their children as domestic workers across the state, stripping them of dignity and hindering the progress of the community.

“If such an unjust system is allowed to continue, the Konyaks will never be able to advance on equal footing with other Naga tribes. Our forefathers reminded us that ‘We Nagas are brothers, and we help each other since time immemorial.’ Sadly, this spirit of brotherhood often remains only in words, not in action. True fraternity must be reflected through policies that embody justice and fairness for all,” the statement read.

The MHSU reaffirmed the call for equity in the reservation system and appealed to the chief minister of Nagaland to show firm political will in resolving this long-standing issue. It further stated that with Nagaland being governed without opposition, there should be no delay or excuse in implementing the reforms.

The union urged the government to act decisively and justly so that equal opportunities are ensured and true justice is delivered to every Naga tribe.