Kohima
Thousands of people from five major tribes in Nagaland held a big sit-in protest on Wednesday outside the Civil Secretariat in Kohima. Dressed in traditional clothes, they demanded a review of the state’s reservation policy.
The protest was led by the 5 Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy (CoRRP). The tribes involved were Ao, Angami, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi. They called for either ending the current reservation system, which started in 1977, or giving unfilled reserved jobs to their tribes.
The protestors carried banners with strong messages like “48 years of patience on BT reservation has become unbearable” and “Reservation without cut-off marks is a mockery.”
The Nagaland government had asked the committee to cancel the protest, promising that the issue was under review and would be discussed after the chief minister returned. But the committee went ahead with the one-day protest, saying they were tired of waiting.
These tribes believe that the reservation system no longer matches today’s social and economic realities. They argued that it needs to be updated or stopped. Earlier, the government promised to set up a commission by June 17, but there has been no progress, which increased their frustration.
Currently, 37% of state jobs are reserved for backward tribes. It started as 25% for certain tribes to help them, but over time it has grown.
The committee warned that if no action is taken, they might start stronger protests. The five tribes are waiting for clear steps from the government to form and empower the promised commission.