Reservation Row: 5 Nagaland tribes resume protest, demand review or suspension of policy

KOHIMA — The President of the Sumi Hoho, Vihuto Assumi, on Wednesday said the five aggrieved tribes in Nagaland have received enough assurances from the state government over the years but now need action.

Participating in the second phase of the protest by the 5 Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy (CoRRP), Assumi proposed that if the government intends to review the reservation policy only after the upcoming census, then the policy should be kept in abeyance until such a review is completed.

“If the government sticks to reviewing the policy only after the census, the protest will also go on. The five tribes will keep quiet if the policy is kept in abeyance,” he said.

Related: Reservation Row: 5 Tribes CoRRP to hold one-day protest despite Nagaland government’s appeal

His remarks were made during the public demonstration in Kohima, where protestors from the five tribes—Angami, Ao, Sumi, Lotha, and Rengma—resumed their demand for scrapping or a complete review of the state’s reservation policy.

The demonstrators, clad in traditional attire, gathered outside the Nagaland Civil Secretariat to demand either the scrapping of the 1977 reservation policy or the reallocation of unreserved quota to the five tribes left out of the policy’s benefits.

Defective and outdated

Convenor of the 5 Tribes CoRRP, Tesinlo Semy, stated that the current “defective” reservation framework fails to distinguish between those who are genuinely economically and socially disadvantaged. “Whether one belongs to an advanced or backward tribe, there is economic and social backwardness, and reservation does not reach them,” he said.

Semy argued that in Nagaland, where all indigenous tribes are Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution, continuing to classify some as backward and others as advanced is not only “unjust but also discriminatory and divisive.” He reiterated the committee’s key demand: either abolish the outdated policy or ensure that the remaining unreserved quota is fairly allocated among the excluded tribes.

The convenor added that the second phase of protest had become necessary because the government had not responded even after the June 3 meeting. “There is no notification, no update, and no action from the government. Are we to conclude that this is not a priority for them?” he asked.

However, he clarified that the protest was not driven by anger or to create division but out of conviction. “If there is political will, the state cabinet can take a decision even today,” he said, urging the government not to delay justice any longer.

“We want a government where every tribe is treated fairly, where merit, equality and opportunity are not sacrificed at the altar of outdated policies,” Semy said.

He also criticised discrepancies in age relaxation and cut-off marks, stating that they put candidates from unreserved tribes at a disadvantage.

He cited the example of 47 teaching posts in the education department that remain unfilled because no qualified candidates from the reserved categories are available, despite repeated advertisements. Meanwhile, qualified candidates from the five unreserved tribes are denied the opportunity to serve.

He questioned the fairness in such cases and asserted that a system based solely on tribal classification is deeply flawed.

Delays and excuses

GK Zhimomi, Member Secretary of the 5 tribes CoRRP, said that although the government had informed them on Tuesday that the process of setting up a review commission was underway, it was not enough to meet their demands.

Moreover, despite the lapse of a month, there was no sign of a commission being set up.

“Maybe they don’t actually have the political will to carry out major reforms in policy and governance. That reflects a weakened system, with the government giving one excuse after another,” he said.

He pointed out that a similar assurance was given in 2016 when the student organisations of the five tribes had submitted six charter demands. “But it went on until 2022. There was a cabinet sub-committee at the time, and it was concluded that no review would be possible until the next census. That excuse has continued to this day,” he said.

Now, with house-listing exercise for the census scheduled to begin in March 2026 and enumeration after that, Zhimomi questioned how long the government intends to delay reforms. "What will the commission do for two to three years if the government keeps using the census as an excuse?” he asked.

The government has assured the committee that once the Chief Minister—who is currently out of station—returns, an immediate meeting will be held. If the meeting with the CM does not fulfil their demands, we will launch an indefinite, intensified agitation, Zhimomi said.

Speaking at the protest, Rengma Hoho Vice President Timothy Thong said the Rengmas are among the most deprived when it comes to representation in government services. “Not a single Rengma has been able to compete in the NCS or NPS for years,” he said, calling it not just an imbalance but a “systemic failure.”

Several other representatives from tribal apex bodies, youth, and student organisations also addressed the demonstrators in support of the protest.

Also read: Job Reservation Row: Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio urges patience, says reforms after Census

In a press release issued later in the day, the 5 Tribes CoRRP expressed satisfaction over the peaceful protest. “The success of today’s one-day sit-in protest held in front of the Nagaland Civil Secretariat at Kohima reaffirms our commitment to pursue the core demands made to the state government arising out of 48 years of indefinite reservation policy,” it stated.

The committee thanked the five apex tribal bodies—Angami Public Organisation, Ao Senden, Lotha Hoho, Rengma Hoho, and Sumi Hoho—for their “unstinted support and presence” at the protest, along with the youth and student organisations.

It also extended appreciation to the district administration and law enforcement agencies for ensuring a peaceful gathering.