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On the review of the reservation policy, the Committee of Five Tribes (CORP) on Thursday strongly criticized the Nagaland cabinet’s decision on the issue of reservation of Backward Tribes (BT).
Kohima: On the review of the reservation policy, the Committee of Five Tribes (CORP) on Thursday strongly criticized the Nagaland cabinet’s decision on the issue of reservation of Backward Tribes (BT). The committee called it a repetition of the June 12 decision, which failed to fulfill their major demands. CORRP convenor Tesinlo Semi and Member Secretary GK Jhimomi expressed disappointment that the state government has again ignored their main concerns and went ahead with the formation of a reservation review commission, including the Central Nagaland Tribe Council, Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization and Tenymi Union Nagaland. The main demands of CORP are to set the conditions of the formation and reference to the reference to review the decades -old reservation policy.
Accused of discrimination in jobs
The committee alleged that the commission announced by the government lacks fairness and it reflects the partisan view. The committee also strongly objected to the comments made by the government spokesperson and minister KG Kenay during media briefing after a cabinet meeting held here on Wednesday. Citing official data, Kenay said that five non-backward tribes currently occupy 64 percent of government jobs, while 10 backward tribes have only 34 percent. He further said that to remove this imbalance, the government will set up a reservation review commission under the leadership of a retired senior government official. The minister said that the Commission has been tasked to submit its report within six months of formally appointed, but the implementation of the reforms may be done with the caste-based census set by the Center in January 2026.
Review of reservation policy
Rejecting the justification of Kenay, the CORP alleged that the government spokesperson has increased the insult to our movement in connecting the 48-year indefinite reservation policy and presenting absurd fiction in government employment as well as the results of the Reservation Review Commission to the next census. The CORP has announced that it will hold a joint meeting with five top tribal bodies in Kohima on Saturday to decide the next action. Recently, the demand for review of Nagaland’s reservation policy was intensified after the five top tribal bodies submitted a joint memorandum to the state government under the banner of CORRP.
This policy implemented from 1977 is no longer contextual
He argued that this policy, implemented since 1977, no longer reflects the current socio-economic and educational realities of various communities of the state. The committee agitated in at least two phases in the form of protest rallies in several district headquarters (Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Vokha, Tsminu, Junheboto, Chumukidima, Niland) – on 29 May and 9 July. Initially, 25 percent reservation was allotted for a period of 10 years for seven tribes on non-technical and non-gazetted posts. Reservation increased to 37 percent over time, including 25 percent for seven backward tribes of Eastern Nagaland and 12 percent for four other backward tribes of the state.
