5 Tribes Committee rejects Nagaland cabinet’s stand on BT reservation

The 5 Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy (CoRRP) has sharply criticised the Nagaland State Cabinet's decision of August 6, calling it a “repetition” of the June 12 resolution that failed to address the committee’s core demands regarding the Backwards Tribe (BT) reservation issue.

In a press release issued from its camp office in Dimapur, the committee expressed disappointment over the government’s move to go ahead with the composition of the Reservation Review Commission, which now includes civil society organisations such as the Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC), Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), and the Tenyimi Union Nagaland (TUN).

The committee alleged that the inclusion of these CSOs reflects a partisan approach and fails to genuinely engage with the concerns raised by the five tribes demanding a review of the state’s 48-year-old reservation policy. 

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It also took exception to remarks made by the government spokesperson during a media briefing, accusing him of using “wild imaginary figures” to defend the reservation structure and of unjustly linking the commission’s outcomes with the results of the next census.

“The spokesperson’s remarks have only added insult to our movement,” the release stated.

The 5 Tribes CoRRP announced that it will soon convene a joint sitting with the apex bodies of the five tribes involved to decide on the next course of action.