- DIMAPUR — The Five Tribes Committee on Review
of Reservation Policy has announced that it will begin the first phase of
peaceful protests on May 29, following the expiry of a 30-day ultimatum issued
to the Nagaland government on April 26.
- The committee had earlier submitted a memorandum on
September 20, 2024, seeking a review of the state’s reservation policy, but
claims that no response has been received from the government to date.
- The committee—comprising the Angami Public Organisation, Ao
Senden, Lotha Hoho, Rengma Hoho, and Sumi Hoho—said in a press release on
Monday that the first phase of protest will involve a march to the Deputy
Commissioner’s office in each district inhabited by the five tribes.
- “There will be a protest march to the DC office in
respective districts, and an ultimatum reminder to the government of Nagaland
will be submitted through the deputy commissioner,” it stated.
Related: Five Nagaland tribes set to launch protests over Reservation Policy
- Urging the public, particularly youth and students, to
participate, the committee said the demonstration is in response to what it
described as “48 years of indefinite reservation policy” in Nagaland, during
which various review committees have “never addressed the concerns of
non-backward tribes.”
- At a press conference held earlier on May 24 in
Chümoukedima, the committee reiterated that it is not against any community
benefiting from reservation but is calling for a timely and fair review of a
policy that has remained unchanged since its inception in 1977.
- The committee’s members highlighted that the reservation
policy was initially introduced for a period of 10 years but was extended
indefinitely through a government order issued in 1989. They contended that
issues such as internal reservation, duration of reservation, multiple
benefits, and the concept of a creamy layer have been repeatedly raised but
remain unaddressed.
