Thejavizo Venuh
Kizari Village
The Backward Tribe (BT) reservation policy in Nagaland, introduced in 1977, is a necessary intervention to address social inequalities and imbalances. It was, and remains rooted in the idea of social justice. While this objective remains valid, it is increasingly important to review the present reservation system to see if it still reflects the ground realities of all tribes.
The progress in Nagaland has been real owing to BT reservation policy. Improved access to education, better representation in government services, and increased socio - economic mobility. However, nearly five decades on with no review or reform of the reservation policy, socio - economic conditions across tribes have changed, not uniformly but in ways that challenge the assumptions on which the policy was built. A system based on fixed classifications now risks missing those who are still left behind. General classification may create the impression that the community as a whole is progressing, yet , within the same tribe, people persist to face marginalisation, limited opportunities, and a lack of access.
This uneven pattern of development becomes particularly evident when one examines specific cases. As per the notification in 2025 by the Department of Personnel and Administration Reforms (DP & AR), the Chakhesang tribe figures one of the highest holders of class 1 & 11 gazetted posts. While such statistics may appear convincing at first glance, they tend to obscure the internal disparities that persist within the community. Particularly, the Tizu area, which falls under the chakhesang community, reveals a contrasting reality. The region continues to remain underdeveloped, marked by limited infrastructure, inadequate access to education, and scarce economic opportunities. The Tizu area lags far behind within its tribe, with hardly one or two gazetted officers or not at all in a village. Even the number of government employees in the area remains disproportionately low, highlighting the imbalances that aggregate data often fails to capture.
No doubt, the BT reservation policy has played a significant role in addressing socio-economic inequalities. But, over time, the policy based on tribal classification, which made sense in the past, has become no longer fully suitable.
In this context, a shift towards a region-based approach becomes necessary. Such a framework would focus on identifying genuinely underdeveloped areas and extending support accordingly, irrespective of broader tribal identity. This approach would also ensure that Ao, Angami, Sumi, Lotha and Rengma tribes, labeled as ‘advanced’ are not entirely excluded from reservation, if specific regions of these 5 communities are truly in need.
At the same time, the principle of equity must be upheld by excluding the creamy layer from availing reservation benefits, even within backward regions. This would promote a more just and effective distribution of opportunities.
The encouraging example that points toward more refined policy making is the case of the sumi community in Kiphire. Despite the Sumi tribe being generally categorised as advanced, Sumi of Kiphire avails the reservation, acknowledging the specific backwardness of that region.
Reservation policy must evolve from static to this model ( region - based ), to achieve social fairness. Periodic reviews, supported by measurable indicators such as income levels, education, infrastructure and access to services are essential to ensure that benefits must reach those who need them most.
Meticulous reform would not only prevent the exclusion of genuinely backward areas like the Tizu area but would adopt the policy of region-based model that has been implemented for the Sumi of Kiphire.
The goal is not to question the concept of reservation itself, but rather to refine its implementation. Fairness will depend on willingness to move beyond rigid framework, from assumption to evidence, and from uniformity to equity.
