Nagaland tribes issue 30-day ultimatum to state govt over reservation policy

Representatives of the five major tribes of Nagaland - Angami, Ao, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi - have issued a 30-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding immediate action on their earlier request for the review and reform of the Nagaland Job Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, the representatives, who were nominated by the apex hohos of their respective tribes, expressed dismay over the government's inaction. They highlighted that despite submitting a memorandum on September 20, 2024, no steps have been taken, nor any communication made, in the past six months.

The five tribes argued that the reservation policy, which has been in force for the past 47 years, has significantly benefited the backward tribes, often at the expense of the so-called advanced tribes. 

They pointed out that the policy was initially intended to be reviewed every ten years. However, a 1989 notification allowed the policy to continue indefinitely without regular assessments.

The memorandum criticized the state government for sidelining recommendations made by earlier committees on issues like the duration of reservation, internal reservations, multiple benefits, creamy layer classification, discrepancies in entry age, and backlog reserved posts. They warned that an indefinite reservation system without review could create economic imbalance, discrimination, and social unrest among the Scheduled Tribes in Nagaland.

The five tribes have demanded either the abolishment of the current reservation system or the exclusive reservation of the remaining unreserved quota for their tribes, which they claim constitute nearly 55% of Nagaland's Scheduled Tribe population.  

With the 30-day ultimatum now served, the five tribes have made it clear that failure to act on their demands could lead to further escalation.