Key Points

The CoRRP, comprising five backward Naga tribes, earlier on August 7 rejected the state cabinet decision to constitute a 7-member Job Reservation Commission (JRC).

A Nagaland government statement on August 6 said that the state cabinet, in its meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, on Wednesday, has approved the constitution of a 7-member JRC, which would be headed by a person with integrity and administrative experience from retired senior IAS officers of the Nagaland cadre. The Commission would include one member each from the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO), the Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC), and the Tenyimi Union Nagaland (TUN) and three official members -- the administrative head of the Political and Administrative Reforms Department, the Home Commissioner, and the administrative head of Law and Justice Department.

Criticising the Nagaland cabinet's decision, the CoRRP leaders on Saturday reiterated that JRC is a "repetition" of the June 12 resolution of the state government that failed to address the committee’s core demands regarding the Backwards Tribe (BT) reservation issue. The CoRRP announced its decision after a marathon closed-door meeting held in Kohima between the Five-Tribes Committee and the apex bodies of five Naga tribes -- Angami, Ao, Lotha, Rengma and Sema tribes.

After the meeting, CoRRP convener Tesinlo Semy said that while they acknowledge the government's decision to set up the JRC to review the reservation policy, they strongly oppose the composition of the commission. “The inclusion of three Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) compromises their independence and overall impartiality,” he told the media. He said the CoRRP wants a commission composed completely of in-service or retired government officials for an impartial review of the reservation in government jobs.

CoRRP member secretary G.K. Zhimomi said that they never demanded JRC, but it was the result of a June 3 meeting with the state government, led by Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton. “The commission must be independent and impartial,” he said.

The push for a review of Nagaland’s job reservation policy intensified after the five tribal apex bodies under the banner of CoRRP submitted a joint memorandum to the state government recently. The Naga body claimed that the job reservation policy, which has been in place for the past 48 years (since 1977), no longer reflects the current socio-economic and educational realities of the various communities in Nagaland.

In support of their demand, the Naga bodies organised two phases of agitation – first on May 29 in the form of protest rallies across multiple district headquarters and in the second phase on July 9, thousands of people from the five Naga tribes attired in traditional dresses staged a protest outside the Civil Secretariat.

Primarily, 25 per cent reservation was allocated for seven tribes in non-technical and non-gazetted posts for 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.

- IANS