Nagaland government and its complex reservation policy

Five tribes - Ao, Sümi, Angami, Lotha and Rengma – have demanded that the state government review and reform its reservation policy

Nagaland’s 1977 reservation policy for Backward Tribes (BT) has recently come under criticism from the tribes that do not fall under this category. Five tribes - Ao, Sümi, Angami, Lotha and Rengma – have demanded that the state government review and reform its reservation policy.

The reservation policy for the backward tribes was notified on January 11, 1977 when Nagaland was under President’s Rule. (Sikkim.ch website)

The reservation policy for the backward tribes was notified on January 11, 1977 when Nagaland was under President’s Rule. It was implemented by then Governor of Nagaland Lallan Prasad Singh, reserving 25% of the total vacancies of non-technical and non-gazetted posts under the state government for seven tribes.

These tribes- Konyak, Sangtam, Khiamniungan, Yimchunger, Phom, Chang and Chakhesang- were considered BTs as they were “educationally and economically very backward” and had insignificant representation in the state’s services. The government notification also directed that 25% of all vacancies out of the 80% already reserved for the state’s indigenous inhabitants/Scheduled Tribes (ST) be reserved further for BT for a period of 10 years.

History of reservation

In 1979, the percentage of reservation was increased to 33%, and the Zeliang tribe was added as the eighth BT. Subsequently in 1988, a cabinet sub-committee recommended the extension of duration by another five years but the government in September 1989 notified that the existing policy will continue till further orders. Although, there has been addition of more tribes under BT category and the state government constituted several committees to review the policy over the years, no major change in the policy was made.

By 2008, the percentage of reservation was revised to 25% of all categories to six tribes of eastern Nagaland- Konyak, Sangtam, Khiamniungan, Yimchunger (later renamed and bifurcated as Yimkhiung and Tikhir), Phom and Chang tribes, and further balance 8% of all categories for remaining backward tribes- Chakhesang, Zeliang and Pochury which was brought under BT in 1994.

In 2011, the reservation percentage for non-eastern Nagaland BTs was revised from 8% to 12% with Chakhesang and Pochury tribes having a share of 6%, Zeliang tribe with 4% and newly included BT Sumi of Kiphire district with 2%. The state government in 2015 notified a ban on de-reservation of vacancies reserved for BT in direct recruitment which introduced the backlog revered vacancy.

In 2019, the government notified 4% reservation for Persons with Disabilities, thus taking the total reservation figure to 41%. The state has 15 recognised Naga tribes, and four other ST. As per the 2011 census, the state has 17,03,423 indigenous Scheduled Tribes (ST) population.

In 2016, the student bodies of five tribes that do not fall under BT- Ao, Sümi, Angami, Lotha and Rengma, launched a demand to review and reform the state’s existing reservation policy.

In 2024, the apex organisations of the five tribes – Ao Senden, Sümi Hoho, Angami Public Organisation, Lotha Hoho and Rengma Hoho commissioned their own panel under the nomenclature 5 Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy (CoRRP). The panel has since petitioned the state government for reviewing the existing reservation policy.

The situation now

The committee has opposed the government’s inaction on core issues like duration of reservation, internal reservation, discrimination arising out of multiple benefits and flexible options for BT, discrepancies in entry age, accumulation of backlog reserved posts etc.

With an indefinite reservation system in place without systematic review, the panel said it poses serious risk of economic imbalance and discrimination among the Scheduled Tribes in Nagaland, leading to inequality and social unrest.

“Instead of reassessing advancement based on employment ratios with non-BT tribes, the state government continues to add more tribes to the reservation category and increase the percentage of existing reservation quotas, which contradicts the principle of equality,” the panel said in a recent statement.

It said that the reservation policy based on the BT system is flawed in its present form and instead of handing reservation to entire tribes, the government should target economically and socially weaker classes that are underrepresented in government service.

The main demand of the panel is to scrap the existing reservation policy, or distribute the unreserved seats to the five tribes, which constitute nearly 55% of the ST population in the state. The five tribes have held peaceful protests in their dominant districts including Kohima, Mokokchung, Zunheboto, Wokha, Tseminyu, Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Niuland.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, on his part, has said that a comprehensive review and re-framing of the state’s existing reservation policy can be done only after the 2026 Census, in which case, the panel insists that the reservation policy should be suspended till then.

The state government constituted a commission in August but it was opposed by the 5 Tribes CoRRP on grounds that the composition included members of civil society organisations. In protest, the five tribes abstained from major official state government functions including Independence Day, Governor’s swearing-in ceremony, meeting of all tribes for upcoming 26th edition Hornbill Festival.

On September 20, the panel served a 10-day ultimatum to the government to set up a proper commission threatening to call a total shutdown across the districts. In response, the state government notified the setting up of a fresh “Job Reservation Commission” on September 22.

While partially welcoming the constitution of a commission, the panel pointed out that the government notification mentions “Job Reservation Commission” and deviates from the agreed points of its earlier meeting with the state government representatives. It has asked the government to rectify the nomenclature as “Reservation Review Commission” along with terms of reference in accordance with the decision of said meeting to interlink and review both reservation in jobs and technical and professional seats.

“Pending rectification by the state government, our 20th September resolution to go ahead with agitation after September 30 still stands,” the panel said

With the deadline ending on October 1, the 5 Tribes CoRRP member secretary GK Zhimomi told HT that the final call will be taken after a joint meeting with the apex tribal bodies.

The Backward Tribes of Nagaland rule was notified at a time when there was a President’s Rule imposed in the state. Nagaland has a history of insurgency, with the Nagas asserting their rights for self-determination even before the end of colonial rule - a movement which continued after the creation of Nagaland state in 1963. The state, which is now largely peaceful, has in the past seen more than its share of conflicts and unrest due to the unresolved Indo-Naga political issue.

During the peak of armed clashes between the Indian Army and Naga militants, President’s Rule was imposed in the state for over two years from March 1975 till November 1977. It was during this period that the BT reservation was implemented. Many regard the policy as one that was framed by the Centre with the intention to wean away the Naga youth who were staunch supporters of the Naga movement and also divide the Naga tribes.