The Committee on Review Reservation Policy (CoRRP), a collective platform representing five major Naga tribal bodies, has announced the resumption of its agitation against the existing job reservation policy in Nagaland. The second phase of protest will begin with a one-day sit-in demonstration at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat in Kohima on July 9, with a call for peaceful public participation and renewed government dialogue. The decision comes after growing dissatisfaction among the tribal bodies over the government’s handling of their longstanding demand to review the reservation system, which has been in place since 1977. The tribal groups — representing the Angami, Ao, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi communities — argue that the decades-old policy no longer reflects the present-day socio-economic and educational realities of the state’s diverse indigenous population.
CoRRP, formed to push for a comprehensive review of the job quota system, had earlier submitted a joint memorandum to the state government demanding immediate formation of a review commission. Following this, a meeting was held on June 3, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton, where the state government assured that a commission would be formed by June 17 to examine the issue. However, no commission was formally constituted by the promised date. Further adding to the tribal groups’ frustration, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday stated that the matter was highly complex and would require significant time and deliberation. He also suggested that any administrative reforms, including those related to reservation policies or electoral delimitation, should only be implemented after the completion of the national census, expected to be conducted in 2027.
This remark did not go down well with the tribal representatives, who view the delay as an attempt to indefinitely postpone meaningful reform. Expressing the group’s disappointment, CoRRP member-secretary G K Zhimomi said, “It will be a one-day protest for now. We’ll observe the government’s response and take further steps accordingly.” The group confirmed that the July 9 sit-in would be peaceful and symbolic, aimed at reminding the government of its commitment and the urgency of the issue. The protest marks a resumption of the agitation that had been temporarily suspended following the June 3 meeting, in good faith that the government would act swiftly. However, with the delay in forming a review commission and the Chief Minister’s remarks pushing potential reforms years into the future, the tribal groups believe they have been left with no option but to return to the streets.
