The Government of Nagaland has put on hold the recruitment process for police constable posts earmarked for the four Non-Naga Tribes - Garos, Kacharis, Mikirs (Karbis) and Kukis - until the completion of an Enumeration Exercise meant to determine the eligibility of members of these tribes as Indigenous Inhabitants of the State.

According to the Home Department, the Constitution (Nagaland) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1970, recognizes that apart from the Naga tribes, these four Non-Naga communities are also Scheduled Tribes of Nagaland, provided they are residents of the State. The order acknowledges the presence of these tribes who had been inhabiting Nagaland prior to its creation on December 1, 1963.

Members of the four Non-Naga Tribes and their direct descendants are thus entitled to obtain Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates and subsequently Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates (IIC), which allow access to employment and other privileges available to Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland. However, the entitlement applies only to those who had settled within the boundaries of the State before its formation.

The Home Department pointed out that since these tribes also reside in other North Eastern States, many of which share borders with Nagaland, cases of migration into Nagaland after Statehood cannot be ruled out. It noted that some individuals may have been wrongly issued ST and IIC certificates, making it necessary to identify and verify those who had genuinely settled in the State before 1963 along with their direct descendants.

To address this, the Government, after detailed consultations and examination of the findings of the RIIN Commission, decided to conduct an Enumeration Exercise of the Kuki, Kachari, Garo and Mikhir tribes who had settled in Nagaland prior to December 1, 1963. The decision was notified vide Home Department Order No. CON/RIIN/50/2020 dated September 20, 2024. However, a writ petition was subsequently filed in the Gauhati High Court by the tribal organizations and bodies representing the four Non-Naga Tribes. Following this, a stay order was issued on the conduct of the Enumeration Exercise, rendering the matter sub judice.

The Department stated that the proposed exercise is crucial for identifying the genuine Indigenous Inhabitants among the four Non-Naga Tribes who are entitled to IICs and other associated rights, particularly for State Government employment.

As a result of the pending legal case, the Government has decided that the ongoing police constable recruitment, which is open to all Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland, will for now proceed only with the 1,176 posts allotted to the Indigenous Naga Tribes. The 24 posts reserved for the four Non-Naga Tribes will be taken up after the Enumeration-related issues are resolved.

(DIPR)