In a significant development, representatives of five major tribes in Nagaland — Angami, Ao, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi — have issued a 30-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding immediate reforms to the Nagaland Job Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes. The ultimatum, issued through a strongly worded letter addressed to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, signals growing dissatisfaction among the so-called “advanced tribes” over what they describe as years of imbalance and discrimination. The tribal representatives, nominated by the apex hohos (tribal councils) of their respective communities, expressed deep frustration over the government’s silence on the issue. They pointed out that despite submitting a detailed memorandum on September 20, 2024, urging a review of the existing reservation policy, there has been no meaningful response or action from the government in the past six months.
The five tribes argue that the reservation policy, which has been in place for nearly five decades, was originally designed to assist backward tribes but has, over the years, created deep disparities. They noted that the policy was intended to be reviewed every ten years to ensure fairness and balance. However, a notification issued in 1989 allowed the reservation policy to continue indefinitely without any formal reassessment, leading to what they describe as entrenched inequality. The memorandum sent to the Chief Minister highlights several concerns, including the need for periodic review of reservations, the issue of multiple benefits enjoyed by some individuals, the necessity for a creamy layer classification, discrepancies in age limits for job entry, and the growing backlog of reserved posts. The tribal representatives warned that the failure to address these issues risks fostering economic imbalance, deepening discrimination, and triggering social unrest among different Scheduled Tribe groups within the state.
Calling the indefinite extension of the reservation system “unjust and unsustainable,” the five tribes have demanded either the complete abolition of the current reservation framework or the allocation of the entire unreserved quota exclusively to their tribes. According to their estimation, the Angami, Ao, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi tribes collectively make up nearly 55 percent of Nagaland’s Scheduled Tribe population. “The policy must either be reformed immediately or the unreserved quota must be protected for the majority tribes who are now being left behind in their own land,” the representatives stated in the letter. With the 30-day ultimatum now formally issued, pressure is mounting on the Neiphiu Rio-led government to respond. Tribal leaders have warned that failure to act could lead to further agitation and escalation of the issue, which could destabilize the already fragile social harmony in the state.
