The Tobu Area Students’ Union (TASU) has expressed its full support for the representation submitted by the Konyak Students’ Union (KSU) to the State Government on June 13, 2025, calling for a review and reform of Nagaland’s Job Reservation Policy in proportion to population ratio for equitable justice.
In a press release, TASU stated that “reservation is a constitutional right and not a mere privilege,” and reiterated its alignment with KSU’s demand for a thorough revision of the state’s job reservation framework. The union highlighted that the existing arrangement has severely underrepresented the Konyak community, despite the fact that they comprise one of Nagaland’s largest tribal groups, accounting for more than 12.65% of the state’s tribal population.
The press release said the “disparity between the demographic reality and the present reservation structure has led to longstanding inequalities, widespread unemployment, and socio-economic backwardness among the Naga people.”
TASU further noted that Mon District continues to remain the most underdeveloped in Nagaland, ranking lowest in literacy, human development index, per capita income, healthcare access, and basic infrastructure, reflecting “years of systematic neglect despite repeated appeals.”
TASU also pointed out that “the Konyaks despite being the highest in population remain the lowest in terms of representation in government employment,” which has created obstacles for accessing financial assistance. The release added, “Banks routinely demand government employee guarantors for even small business loans, yet most Konyak applicants are unable to provide such guarantors due to the acute underrepresentation of the community in state services.” TASU said this situation “perpetuates the cycle of poverty and marginalization.”
In line with KSU, TASU demanded: “An immediate review and reform of the existing State Backward Tribe Job Reservation Policy to correct the long-standing imbalance.”
“Implementation of a population-proportionate reservation system that ensures fair representation, justice, and equity for all.”
The union urged the State Government to demonstrate “strong political commitment by initiating urgent reforms without waiting for the release of the 2021 Census data,” warning that “any further delay will only compound the frustrations of the people and pose serious risks to peace and progress in Nagaland.”