33% quota & “eastern” quota to be increased
Al Ngullie
Dimapur | September 12
In an obvious please-everybody indulgence thanks to the state assembly elections just around the bend, the NPF-led DAN government is soon to increase the general service reservation of 33%. This is more so since the Cabinet’s assurance “in principle” acceding to the ENSF’s demand for 25% job reservation cannot be accommodated without increasing the total quota.
Relative to this, the Nagaland Cabinet is also in active consideration to include the Sumi community of Kiphire district within the 25% quota that has been assured in principle to six tribes from Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire districts.
The decision to increase the 33% reservation was necessitated by the concession of the huge 25% given exclusively to the six tribes i.e., Konyak, Sangtam, Yimchunger, Chang, Phom and Khiamniungan. But Rio’s pre-poll gift bag does not empty there: The gift package also includes a soon-expected increase in the 25% quota to the “eastern” people. An increase of about 3% to 4% is envisaged, a minister informed. This is necessitated by the decision to include the Sumi community of Kiphire within this quota.
Interestingly, Minister for Agriculture Kuzholuzo said there is a “small internal matter” that has to be sorted out. He said that the aforesaid six tribes and Kiphire’s Sumi community has to confer over including the latter into the 25% quota. Kiphire’s Sumi frontals had demanded inclusion into the reservation demanded by the ENSF. Decisions to all the above matters have yet to be made official but a minister said “it has been decided.”
However, it may be noted with interest that the Nagaland Cabinet made the move even while the report of the Committee for Backward Reservation has yet to be even received. Curiously, it was informed that the ‘interim report’ submitted last week recommended that the 25% quota as demanded by the ENSF was “acceptable” but an ‘official decision’ would be taken only after receipt of the ‘final report.’ The committee had been given a month-time to table the ‘final report’ viz., before or by September 30, said Principal Secretary for P & AR CJ Ponraj. This also means that the DAN government took a political decision. The state assembly election is scheduled for February 2008.
Minister for Health Dr. TM Lotha informed that the 25% would have to be increased since the Sumi community of Kiphire is envisaged to be included. To accommodate the quota, the entire reservation of 33% for Nagaland has to be increased. He also said that the committee’s final report is awaited.
Minister for Agriculture Kuzholuzo while stating that the concession was currently only in principle, there are more modalities have to be worked out. He also referred to including the said district’s Sumi community into the 25% fold, which, if done so, would be increased to accommodate them. Conversely, reservation for other communities like the Zeliangs, Rengmas, Pochurys etc would have to wait.
It was informed that the Cabinet also addressed issues of quota in regard to sub-communities and other STs who would be affected by the recent development. While long-term socio-political implications arising from perceived disparities are not being denied, a minister said that related matter of other communities would be discussed soon.
It may be noted here with interest that the DAN government’s decision on reservation is being made on regional lines rather than the prescribed indigenous-people categorization/reservation. An observation may be made here that this decision suggests defining reservation in the context of expansion or development. For example, the DAN’s move also means that an ST/SC (or so-called “advanced” tribe) community from another district can claim or be given more quotas through BT/OBT community quota even though the former is not “backward.” For example, STs such as the Aos or the Lothas in Mon district – even though they are not under Backward schedule–can claim to be backward and claim more reservation since they are living in a BT area. If the DAN decision is given statute sanction, this may be the birth of a new convention.
The Nagaland Cabinet’s “assurance” is the biggest pre-poll decision taken by the Neiphiu Rio-led DAN government. And in all intent, observers have no doubt the recent development in entirety suggests of political opportunism with the motive to consolidate a vote bank, with special reference to the NPF.
• 25% quota for Konyak, Sangtam, Yimchunger, Chang, Phom and Khiamniungan
• Kiphire’s Sumi community envisaged to be included within the 25%
• If decided so, then the 25% will be increased by 3-4%
• To accommodate the 25% or its increase, the total state reservation of 33% will be increased so that other communities’ quota is not disturbed
• Government’s decision suggests a new quota precedent: ST/SC, “advanced tribe” etc. can claim more quotas by virtue of conforming to BTs/OBTs regions and its disparities.
