AFTF takes movement statewide, demands scrapping of 80:20 job quota in Arunachal

A fresh debate over government job reservations has stirred in Arunachal Pradesh as the Arunachal Frontier Tribal Front (AFTF) launching a statewide movement to demand the scrapping of the existing 80:20 reservation ratio in recruitment. The campaign seeks a complete overhaul of the current policy, which reserves 80 per cent of government jobs for Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (APST) and keeps 20 per cent open to non-tribal candidates.

The movement was formally launched through an Awareness-cum-Signature Campaign at the Tennis Court of Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar.

Addressing the gathering, AFTF chairman Tadak Nalo said that the present policy has adversely affected indigenous youths, especially amid rising unemployment in the state. He mentioned that the party is demanding 100 per cent reservation for indigenous residents and wants Scheduled Tribe (ST) status along with a Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) to be made mandatory for all recruitments carried out by the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB).

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Demand for overhaul of recruitment policy

Speaking to India Today, noted anti-dam activist Ebo Mili backed the demand while clarifying that the movement is not directed against outsiders. “We are not against anyone,” Mili said. “But sons of the soil must come first, as seen in states like Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur. Arunachal is a purely tribal state, and with unemployment at alarming levels, tribal youths should be prioritised in all jobs.”

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The AFTF leadership argued that several neighbouring Northeastern states have already adopted stricter domicile-based recruitment frameworks that prioritise local communities in government employment. According to the party, Arunachal Pradesh, being a predominantly tribal state, must adopt a similar model to protect its demographic identity and ensure better employment opportunities for its indigenous population.

The party described the campaign as the first phase of its proposed “Pan Arunachal Movement”, which it said is aimed at safeguarding the rights, identity and future of the state’s indigenous people.