DIMAPUR, June 23: Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Nagaland, S. Supongmeren Jamir, has called upon the state government to take urgent steps towards officially recognising tribal dialects and languages as ‘third languages’ in the recruitment process for Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) under the Department of Posts.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Jamir, who also serves on the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communication & IT, expressed concern over the increasing number of non-local candidates securing GDS positions in Nagaland. He attributed this trend to the current recruitment system, which considers only English and Hindi marks from Class X level, thus sidelining local candidates fluent in indigenous dialects.

Jamir pointed out that in the last two years, three GDS recruitment drives were conducted in Nagaland, including a special drive in January 2023 that advertised 143 out of a total of 364 posts. He argued that the absence of recognition for tribal dialects has seriously limited employment opportunities for local youth in the postal department.

The MP referenced the Department of Posts’ acknowledgment of English as an official language in Nagaland and its agreement in principle to work with the state government in identifying and recognising local dialects for evaluation. He urged the state to expedite this process.

Jamir highlighted Arunachal Pradesh’s successful implementation of a five-year provision recognising 23 tribal dialects as valid mediums for GDS recruitment. He noted that applicants in Arunachal Pradesh who are proficient in their native dialects receive certification from the Deputy Commissioner or other authorised state officers, given that these languages are not part of the school curriculum up to Class X.

Referring to official correspondence, including one from the Director General of GDS and follow-ups from the Director of Postal Services, Nagaland, Jamir reiterated that despite the Home Department’s recognition of 15 Scheduled Tribes and other communities such as the Kachari, Kuki, Garo, Mikir, and the recently-recognised Tikhir tribe, their dialects are yet to be formally notified as ‘third languages’.

To address the issue, the Home Department has sought inputs from the Commissioner and the Secretary of Art & Culture. However, Jamir emphasized that formal recognition must be granted without delay to level the playing field for local candidates.

“This undermines the third dialect/language that candidates would have otherwise studied or are fluent in besides these two languages,” Jamir wrote, warning that the current model negatively affects local performance in national-level recruitment.

He concluded by urging the Chief Minister’s office to take immediate action through the concerned departments to officially recognise tribal dialects spoken across Nagaland, thereby ensuring fair recruitment practices and promoting employment equity for tribal youth.