Nagaland: MLA Achumbemo Kikon bats for educational reforms in reservation policy

During a felicitation ceremony held in Jubilee Hall, St. Xavier Parish Church, Jalukie, MLA Achumbemo Kikon, Chairman of the State Development and Planning Board (SDPDB) Bhandari and Chairman of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, Nagaland Legislative Assembly, made a strong case for shifting government job reservation policies to the educational sector.

The event, organized by the Zeliangrong Students’ Union Nagaland, celebrated the outstanding academic achievements of HSLC and HSSLC students from the Zeliangrong community, including Ms. Lungyihangle Nring of St. Paul Higher Secondary School, Dimapur, who secured the top rank in the NBSE HSLC examination with 98.67%.

Congratulating the seven top-ranking students, MLA Kikon praised the academic excellence of the Zeliangrong community, reminiscing about past achievers like Mr. Cherakung Zeliang, the 1997 NBSE topper now serving in the Indian Foreign Service, and notable figures such as freedom fighter Haipou Jadonang and nuclear scientist Er. Chireuding Zeliang.

Drawing from these legacies, Kikon encouraged the community to embrace its history of leadership and excellence. He underscored the need to reassess the continued classification of the Zeliangrong people as a Backward Tribe despite such achievements. “We must reflect whether we still need to hold onto this label when our community has clearly proven its competence,” he stated.

Advocating for a shift in reservation dynamics, MLA Kikon proposed a model where educational upliftment replaces job-based quotas. He argued that reservations should be guided by socio-economic and infrastructural considerations rather than purely tribal classifications.

He proposed a phased transition plan:

The continuation of current backward quotas for a limited period of 2–3 years.

A subsequent shift from job reservations to education-focused reservations.

Implementation of localized scholarships, deployment of additional teachers in government schools, and investment in tuition support for underprivileged areas.

According to Kikon, this educationally focused approach would allow students from backward regions to catch up and potentially surpass their counterparts from more developed areas.

He commended the INICIO Foundation for recognizing three students from remote localities who overcame significant challenges to succeed in their HSLC exams, stating that such recognition truly exemplifies the intent of reservation.

Kikon also highlighted the geographic advantage of Jalukie and nearby areas, which enjoy proximity to both Kohima and Dimapur, affording residents better access to infrastructure and opportunities than other parts of the Zeliangrong belt.

Concluding his address, he called for unwavering unity among the Zeliangrong sub-tribes—Zeme, Liangmai, Rongmei, and Inpui, emphasizing that their solidarity is crucial for the collective progress of the larger Naga community.