Dr Asangba Tzüdir
Citing “deliberate suppression and deprived in all aspects for the last six decades”, the ENSF while rejecting the present form of the Nagaland Staff Selection Board regulation 2020, listed seven demands that included earmarking 45% of posts for the six tribes of Eastern Naga Tribes for 20 years till the tribes are at par with the rest of the other Nagas. It said that the demands have been made in order to constitute a fair, equal and just NSSB. Taking this as a point of departure, such issue of discontentment raised by ENSF brings to fore the question of reservation, and the idea of fairness, justice and equality within the larger context of the present realities.
To put it very bluntly, Nagaland state needs to relocate the context of reservation in a holistic manner that, reservation needs to go beyond the division of ‘backwardness’ and ‘forwardness’ among tribes. The idea of fairness, justice and equality will make good sense not through the current form of reservation but by remodeling firstly within the frame of ‘affirmative action’ by not only favoring those individuals who are not privileged as the others but on the larger whole, there is a need to put in place a development model what seeks to address the issues towards creating a holistic development so that everyone gets an equal opportunity to live and to grow. Such kind of affirmative action model which was intended to end and correct the effects of discrimination was employed in the United States and other countries to uplift the minorities.
Looking from the current prism of reservation which is aimed at delivering justice, fairness and equality, it will not serve its purpose because at the end of the day it does not make sense if only the ‘privileged few’, within the backward tribe becomes the beneficiaries of reservation which seems to be the case. With the existing level of disparities, the challenge and concern is to bridge the yawning gap by uplifting the deprived and this can only happen when holistic developmental models are in place that would seek to improve the overall quality of life.
Further, reservation of certain percentage especially in jobs will not serve this purpose. Rather, towards identification and privileging of the deprived sections, one approach is to divide the state into various quartiles in terms of the economic position and strength of the district. Further, certain colleges or institutions can be earmarked and put off the purview of reservation, that those irrespective of tribe who have passed their qualifying degree exam from those earmarked colleges or institutions, should not be eligible for reservation. It may not be the ideal solution but more rational, fair and just because even among the ‘struggling’ tribes the reservation privileges are often enjoyed only by those coming from economically stronger section that can afford better education from better colleges.
Today, on the whole, there is need for the evolution of new policies. We may talk about reservation and recruitment in terms of ‘forward’ and ‘backward’ and in terms of reservation percentages, but what is imperative is a holistic approach that seeks to address the disparities that is happening among the tribes as well as within the tribes towards improving the overall quality of life.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to the Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
