KOHIMA — In the
backdrop of the Five Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy’s
decision to hold phase-wise agitation beginning on Thursday, the Nagaland
government has convened a meeting with the representatives of the committee and
leaders of the five tribes on June 3.
The five tribes—represented by Angami Public Organisation,
Ao Senden, Lotha Hoho, Rengma Hoho and Sumi Hoho—are demanding the government
either scrap the 48-year-old job reservation policy or allocate the remaining
unreserved quota to the five tribes.
In a meeting notice, the chief secretary has requested the
convener of the committee and the respective presidents of the tribal apex
bodies, along with two representatives each, to attend the meeting “to discuss
the policy on reservation in government employment”.
The meeting has been scheduled for 11:00 am at the
Secretariat Conference Hall, Civil Secretariat, in Kohima.
The committee’s member secretary GK Zhimomi told Eastern
Mirror that they are still going ahead with the agitation. He explained that
they received the notice at the eleventh hour, and cannot hold back their
planned agitation now.
The first phase agitation, scheduled for May 29, would be
held in the district headquarters inhabited by the five tribes.
On the day of the meeting with the government, Zhimomi said
they would sit across the table, and simultaneously, agitation will continue.
While hoping for the best from the meeting, he added that
the ‘government has to do some justice.’
Earlier during the committee’s meeting with five tribes’
apex bodies along with their youth and student organisations in Chümoukedima,
it resolved to hold phase-wise agitation starting on May 29. The agitation was
called following the expiry of the committee’s ultimatum to the government on
May 26.
Formed in August 2023, the committee submitted a
representation to the government requesting a review of the reservation policy.
But the state government did not respond to the committee. This was followed by
serving a 30-day ultimatum to the government on April 26, which expired on
Monday with no response.
The reservation policy for Backward Tribes (BT) in Nagaland
was implemented in 1977 for ten years but was extended till further notice in
1989.
It initially allocated a 25% quota for seven tribes in
non-technical and non-gazetted posts for a period of 10 years. These tribes
were designated as ‘backward’ based on their educational and economic
disadvantage and limited representation in state services. This reservation has
since increased to 37%, with 25% for the seven eastern Naga BT tribes and 12%
for four other BT tribes.
Government forms committee
The state government has formed a committee to examine and
submit its findings on the policy for reservation in government employment
within 3 months.
The five tribes committee informed that the state government
had written a letter to its convener on May 25, mentioning the committee
constituted. They received the letter only on Wednesday, it stated.
“The letter simply informs that the state government on May
7, 2025, had constituted a committee to examine and submit its findings on
policy for reservation in government employment within 3 months,” the committee
stated.
The state government further requested the committee to
reconsider the proposed agitation.
After consultation with the 5 tribes’ apex bodies, the
committee unanimously decided that the state government’s letter “not only
lacks sincere commitment but fails to address” the core concerns and issues
raised in the memorandum of September 20, 2024.
The proposed agitation will go ahead as planned, it added.
