Colonel Prakash Bhatt (Retd)
Noida
Apropos news report in your esteemed newspaper regarding sit-in by five forward Tribes held at Kohima on 09 Jul 2025 for review of the existing Job Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes which has been in effect for nearly 48 years.
It is agreed that the objectives for adoption of the Job Reservation Policy may not have been completely achieved, but a certain percentage among the Backward Tribes must have surely benefitted from the policy. Any reservation policy cannot be in perpetuity without review, as many from the ‘creamy layer’ who have benefitted, should logically be kept outside the ambit of the reservation policy. Such a step would ease the pressure on the forward tribes in securing gainful employment.
Most of the backward tribes which have demanded a separate administrative unit hail from Eastern Nagaland. The Eastern Nagaland Public Organisation (ENPO) which represents the Tribes of Eastern Nagaland is in direct consultation with the Union Government. Nagaland State Government and the Forward Tribes have supported their demand in principle. The Union Government is in talks with ENPO and have agreed in principle to create an administrative unit, ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’ which will have greater autonomy.
After creation of a separate administrative unit of ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’ the Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes would hopefully become redundant, as most of the Backward Tribes would be part of the new administrative unit. However, the exact contours of Frontier Nagaland Territory are not yet known whether it would be a separate state, a UT or an Autonomous Council as talks are on between the Union Government and ENPO.
The difficulties of the forward tribes have been aggravated due to the inordinately delayed solution to the Nagaland problem. In case there had been a timely agreement between the Union Government and the underground Militant factions then it would have resulted in an economic package for the state which would have relieved the pressure on the forward tribes caused by the Job Reservation Policy for the Backward Tribes.
In view of the above facts, the onus of responsibility to address the grievances of the Forward Tribes rests both with the Union Government and the State Government. The Union Government must expeditiously conclude the talks with the Underground Groups and ENPO to usher lasting peace and prosperity in Nagaland. In the interim the State Government too should institute a committee to review the Job Reservation Policy for well-being of all tribes.
(The views expressed by the author are personal)
