Achumbemo Kikon felicitates NBSE HSLC topper Lungyihangle
Nring on May 24.
DIMAPUR — Naga
People’s Front (NPF) legislator Achumbemo Kikon has called for a paradigm shift
in Nagaland's reservation policy by way of gradually shifting reservation in
government jobs to the education sector instead.
Addressing a felicitation programme organised by the
Zeliangrong Students’ Union Nagaland St. Xavier Parish Church in Jalukie on May
24, Kikon outlined a new approach centred on socio-economic upliftment and
infrastructure-based support rather than tribal classification.
The event was held to honour NBSE HSLC Rank 1 topper
Lungyihangle Nring from St. Paul Hr. Sec School, Dimapur, who scored 98.67%,
along with other meritorious HSLC and HSSLC students from Zeliangrong
community.
While lauding their achievements, Kikon suggested that such
academic excellence should compel the community to re-evaluate its continued
classification as a Backward Tribe.
Despite celebrating the community’s
accomplishments—including past toppers and trailblazers like the late freedom
fighter Haipou Jadonang and the first Naga nuclear scientist Chireuding
Zeliang—Kikon expressed concern that the community still remains under the
backward category.
He suggested that the label may no longer reflect current
realities and called for a reassessment of what backwardness means today.
Arguing that job reservations alone no longer serve their
intended purpose, Kikon proposed that the focus should now be given to the
education sector “by providing more well-equipped teachers to the remote areas
and the necessary tech required for educating the students.”
He pointed out that many individuals who once benefited from
job reservations now have access to opportunities and resources, placing them
in the so-called "creamy layer" who no longer require such benefits.
Instead, he said, the system should target those still
struggling due to lack of access to education and infrastructure.
To address this, Kikon put forward a three-point proposal:
the current backward quota system should continue for a limited period—two to
three years—while awaiting the completion of the next Census; after that,
“change the job reservation into educational reservation”; and provide a
special incentive or scholarship programme targeting specific backward pockets.
According to Kikon, this shift would enable students from
backward regions to catch up with their peers in more developed areas, helping
bridge the educational divide.
Also, Kikon lauded the INICIO Foundation as a model,
praising the organisation for recognising three students from remote regions
who overcame significant hardships to pass their HSLC exams. He remarked that
such support systems truly embody the original intent behind reservation
policies.
He highlighted the relatively better infrastructure of
Jalukie and surrounding areas, which benefit from proximity to both the state
capital Kohima and commercial hub Dimapur. These advantages, he asserted,
underscore the need to adopt a more nuanced, region-specific approach to
development and reservation.
He called for unity among the Zeliangrong sub-tribes—Zeme,
Liangmai, Rongmei, and Inpui—and urged the community to lead by example in
embracing change for a more equitable future. He stressed that a united,
forward-thinking Zeliangrong community could play a vital role in strengthening
the larger Naga society.
