Five Naga tribes end boycott of govt events after Nagaland cabinet accepts key demands

Kohima, Oct 20 (IANS) The Five Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy (CoRRP), which has been agitating in Nagaland for several months demanding a review of the state’s job reservation policy, on Monday withdrew its call for boycott of all state government functions following the state Cabinet’s decision to accept their key demands.

The 5 Tribes CoRRP held a consultative meeting with all the 5 apex tribe bodies including its frontal units on Monday at Sendenyu Biodiversity Education Centre in Tseminyu district.

Member Secretary G.K. Zhimomi and Convenor Tesinlo Semy in a joint statement said that the meeting welcomed and appreciated the decision of the Nagaland state Cabinet to effect the change of nomenclature from Job Reservation Commission to Commission for Review of Reservation and extending the Terms of Reference beyond job employment in accordance with their representation submitted to the government on September 24.

“The 5 Tribes CoRRP and the five apex tribe bodies are ready to extend full cooperation to the Commission as and when asked for. With the state cabinet honouring our demands, the non-participation by the 5 apex tribe bodies in all state government functions and activities which has been in place since August 15, 2025 stands withdrawn,” the statement said on Monday night.

The 5 Tribes CoRRP last month announced to launch an indefinite shutdown in eight districts from October 1 to press for its demand, but it was later suspended due to the festive season.

The eight districts include, Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Tseminyu and Zunheboto.

A senior government official earlier said that a Job Reservation Commission was constituted on September 22 to examine and submit a report on reservation policy in government employment and to make recommendations for a suitable policy governing equitable representation of various tribes of the state in government employment.

Retired IAS officer R. Ramakrishnan will be the Chairman of the five-member commission.

The five-tribe CoRRP, representing the Ao, Angami, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi tribes, set an ultimatum to the state government to resolve their demands.

CoRRP has held various agitations and protests since April this year and has declared non-cooperation with the government and also boycotted the Independence Day celebrations on August 15.

The Naga body claimed that the job reservation policy, which has been in place for the past 48 years (since 1977), no longer reflects the current socio-economic and educational realities of the various communities in Nagaland.

In support of their demand, the Naga bodies organised two phases of agitation – first on May 29 in the form of protest rallies across multiple district headquarters and in the second phase on July 9, thousands of people from the five Naga tribes attired in traditional dresses staged a protest outside the Civil Secretariat in Kohima.

Primarily, 25 per cent reservation was allocated for seven tribes in non-technical and non-gazetted posts for 10 years.

These tribes were designated as ‘backward’ based on educational and economic disadvantages, and limited representation in state services.

Over the years, the reservation has increased to 37 per cent, comprising 25 per cent for seven Eastern Nagaland backward tribes and 12 per cent for four other backward tribes of the state.

--IANS

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