It is now a foregone conclusion that the upcoming Independence Day celebrations on August 15 will witness an empty public gallery across the areas inhabited by the five tribes — Angami, Ao, Lotha, Rengma, and Sümi. The call for total non-participation in all State Government functions, including the national day, has been reiterated by every major apex tribal body, student organization, and frontal unit within these communities. Unless the State Government unexpectedly concedes to their demands in the next 24 hours, a scenario that appears highly improbable , this boycott will go ahead in full force.
The Five Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy has made its position abundantly clear: the current job reservation system, in place for nearly five decades, has unfairly disadvantaged their communities. Their demand for a fairer policy has been met, in their view, with indifference, prompting them to escalate their protest. The boycott of Independence Day is no small statement; it is a symbolic withdrawal from an event that is meant to unite citizens in shared pride.
For the State Government, the situation is a political and administrative bind. To concede now could be seen as succumbing to pressure tactics, setting a precedent for future agitations. To hold firm, however, risks deepening divisions and feeding the perception of unresponsiveness. The optics of sparsely attended official functions on the nation’s most important day will do little to project stability or cohesion.
Yet, the intensity of unity on display here also points to an uncomfortable truth. When the Naga public aligns behind an issue that is perceived to directly affect them, such as reservation policy, the solidarity is unshakable and the mobilization swift. Resolutions are passed, directives are enforced, and compliance is near total. Imagine if this same clarity of purpose and coordinated will were applied to other pressing concerns: endemic corruption, mismanagement of public funds, the faltering pace of infrastructure development, or the unresolved Naga political issue that continues to loom over the State’s future.
If Naga society can stand steadfast for a cause like this, it certainly has the capacity to stand equally firm on issues that affect every citizen, regardless of tribe or region. Such unity, directed toward eradicating corruption or finding an honourable and lasting political settlement, could be transformative. August 15 may pass in silence in the five tribes’ territories this year, but the hope remains that one day this same spirit of resolve will resound in the pursuit of a more just, transparent, and peaceful Nagaland.