Kohima, Sep 24 : An association of five major tribes of Nagaland on Wednesday “partially welcomed” the state government’s decision to constitute a commission for examining the decades-old job reservation policy, but asserted that the administration has deviated from the agreed position to form a panel which would review the quota system in technical and professional courses too.
The Nagaland government has constituted a commission, headed by retired bureaucrat R Ramakrishnan, which would review the job reservation policy in the government sector and recommend a framework for equitable representation of various tribes, according to a notification issued on Monday.
The 5-Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy (CoRRP) said it “partially welcomed” the notification constituting the Job Reservation Commission, nearly 100 days after the Cabinet agreed in principle to set up a panel on their demand on June 12.
The Committee, however, said in a statement that the notification deviates from the agreed points of the June 3 meeting between the state government and the CoRRP, as well as from the Cabinet announcement on August 6 about establishing a Reservation Review Commission.
The CoRRP urged the government to change the nomenclature to “Reservation Review Commission” and define the Terms of Reference in line with the June 3 agreement, which called for an interlinked review of both job reservations and quota in technical and professional courses according to tribal representation.
The protestors argued that the reservation policy, which has been in place since 1977, no longer reflects the current socio-economic and educational realities of the various communities in the state.
The statement, issued by CoRRP convener Tesinlo Semy and member secretary G K Zhimomi, said that pending government action, its September 20 resolution to proceed with total shutdown in eight districts inhabited by the five tribes after September 30 remains in force.
The CoRRP, after joint consultations with the apex tribal bodies and their frontal organisations in Kohima, on September 20, announced that it would resort to agitation from October 1 if the government failed to constitute the commission.
On September 20, the CoRRP, representing the Ao, Angami, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi tribes, set a 10-day ultimatum to the state government to come forward for redressing their grievances over the matter. The administration set up the commission two days after that.
Initially, 25 per cent reservation was allocated for seven tribes in non-technical and non-gazetted posts for a period of 10 years. These tribes were designated as ‘backward’ based on educational and economic disadvantages, and limited representation in state services.
Over the years, the reservation has increased to 37 per cent, comprising 25 per cent for seven Eastern Nagaland Backward Tribes and 12 per cent, for four other backward tribes of the state.
Pressing for fulfillment of their demand, the Committee has been protesting since May. It has also declared non-cooperation with the government and did not participate in Independence Day celebrations. (PTI)
