Mokokchung, January 22 (MExN): The apex organizations of the Ao community has rejected the reservation of 25 percent in Grade-IV vacancies, recruitment of non-Aos in the Mokokchung Customary Court and ‘reservation policy for backward tribes in respect to Grade-III posts’ under the district administration.
The apex Ao organizations - Ao Senden (Ao Hoho), Watsu Mungdang (Ao Women’s organization), Ao Kaketshir Mungdang (Ao Students’ Conference) and Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) – were reacting to certain points contained in an Office Memorandum of Personnel & Administrative Reforms Office which stipulated the recruitment to various vacant posts falling under the district administration.
The four apex organizations, in an ultimatum addressed to the Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner, stated that the P&AR Office Memorandum Dated November 16, 2015 “is against the interests of the indigenous inhabitants of Mokokchung district”.
It stated that a thorough meeting was held at the AKM office on January 20, 2016 where it was unanimously resolved not to accept the reservation of 25 percent for the Grade IV vacancies.
“All the Grade-IV posts falling under the establishment of Deputy Commissioner should be filled up from among the indigenous Ao citizens of the district only,” the ultimatum stated.
It also demanded that ‘for the direct recruitment of Grade-III posts of Dobashi under the establishment of Deputy Commissioner in district administration,’ the posts should be filled up by indigenous Ao inhabitants of the district only.
It stated that this demand about the recruitment of Dobashis is in consonance with the demand of the Ao Senden which had in 2013 and 2014 written to the Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner ‘not to appoint Dobashis from other tribes to the Mokokchung Customary Court’.
The ultimatum also stated that the meeting of the apex organizations strongly resolved to reject the “reservation policy for backward tribes in respect to Grade-III posts” in the district and instead called for open competition from eligible candidates from all indigenous inhabitants and selection on merit basis.
“We propose for open competition without any reservation from among the eligible indigenous inhabitants of the state for the Grade – III posts. However, the recruitment process should be conducted in a transparent manner and the selection process should be based purely on merit basis,” the organizations stated.
While saying that the resolutions at the January 20, 2015 meeting were taken ‘in order to safeguard the rights and interests of the indigenous inhabitants of the district’, the ultimatum demanded that the ‘P&AR Office Memorandum’ should not be implemented unless the above mentioned rectifications are made by the state government.
“Failure to comply with our demands, and implementing the November 16, 2015 P&AR Office Memorandum without rectifications will invite serious action from our part, and for any consequences that may arise, the State Government would be solely held responsible,” the organizations warned.
The ultimatum was appended by Ao Senden vice-president, O Shilu; Watsu Mungdang president Moachila; AKM vice-president, Akummeren Longchar; and MTLT vice president Martoshi Jamir.
