Konyak Students' Union demands population-based job quota in Nagaland

The Konyak Students' Union (KSU) has submitted a formal representation to the Chief Minister of Nagaland, demanding an urgent review and reform of the state's job reservation policy. 

The Union has called for quotas to be aligned with population ratios, citing historical marginalisation and systemic inequity against the Konyak tribe.

In its memorandum, routed through the Deputy Commissioner of Mon, the KSU stressed that job reservation is a “right, not a concession,” and sought the Chief Minister’s immediate intervention. “We earnestly urge your esteemed office to undertake a comprehensive and urgent review of Nagaland's Backward Tribes Job Reservation Policy,” the statement said.

Tracing the evolution of job reservations since 1977, the Union highlighted how successive policy revisions have overlooked the Konyak tribe, despite its population of over 2.5 lakh — constituting nearly 12.65% of Nagaland’s tribal demography.

Key developments cited include:

> The 1977 introduction of a 25% reservation for seven backwards tribes.

>  Additions in 1979, 2008, and 2011 increased the quota to 37%, but diluting benefits for the larger tribes like the Konyaks.

>  The latest 2015 notification, which, according to KSU, fails to address proportional representation.

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The KSU has put forward two core demands:

> Immediate review and overhaul of the existing job reservation framework.

> Adoption of a population-based reservation system to ensure equitable access to government jobs.

The Union highlighted stark disparities: while the Konyaks make up over 12% of the population, they hold only 6% of government jobs. Mon district, the Konyak heartland, has the state’s lowest literacy rate at 56.99% and ranks lowest on the Human Development Index (HDI), according to the Nagaland Human Development Report 2016.

The KSU warned of a rising crisis of educated unemployment and the resultant social risks. “The lack of job avenues is pushing our youth toward anti-social activities and insurgent groups,” the representative stated, calling the situation a “social time bomb.”

Mon district was described as the most rural and underdeveloped in Nagaland, with 86.4% of its population living in villages, according to the 2011 census.

The KSU has urged the state government to act without waiting for the release of the 2021 Census data. They called for a special provision via a cabinet decision to address what they term as a long-standing injustice.

“The Konyak people, and indeed all of Nagaland, await your bold and justifiable decision,” the Union stated, expressing hope that the government would respond with fairness and urgency.