Nagaland on fire: Men violently oppose women’s quota in urban local bodies

 

Yes, you read that headline correctly. In an age where women are being heralded as agents of change and when there are literally stomping on all glass ceilings with their pencil heels, here we have news from Nagaland which pushes women’s equality right back to where we started from.

 

What’s astonishing is that it comes from a state which proudly professes that it is a matrilineal society. Why is it all patriarchy ruling at the political level?

 

The Naga government had announced 33% reservation of seats for women in urban local bodies (ULBs) in December 2016. Several Naga tribal bodies have been protesting the same as a violation of Naga laws and traditions, citing that the reservation infringes the special provision guaranteed to the Naga people under Article 371(A) of the Constitution. Article 371A says that no Act of parliament will apply to Nagaland unless passed by the state legislature.  So, the Nagas are targeting Article 243T which provides reservation to women in the ULBs.

 

Since the situation appeared to be spiralling out of control, the government decided to withhold the election process to 12 urban local bodies. In fact, Nagaland Chief Minister Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang on February 20 put in his papers to pave way for his successor to lead the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) coalition government.

 

What the women have to say about this?

 

credit: PTI

 

In a press release issued earlier in January 2017, Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), have stated their take on the matter, condemned the riots and violence in the state.  “Such use of force in a civilised society is condemnable. The Joint Action Committee on Women Reservation demands our constitutional rights as equal citizens as human beings under the constitution and are not confronting or challenging men. Therefore, we urge all tribe organisations to ensure that we respect each other and promote a culture of respect for the rule of law and a sense of tolerance for diverse and opposing views.”

 

The NMA is central to this election demand. The NMA was formed in 1984. According to the NMA's constitution, every adult Naga woman automatically becomes a member of the NMA with an annual membership fee of Re 1. The NMA also takes up issues of women from non-Naga communities in the state.

 

For the rest of India, it is a surprising news as the state is conceived to be one of those few places where women are accorded respect and have a right to education and have an enviable participation in the workforce. They are one of those states which have created for themselves an image of progressive people. But when it comes to politics, the women are conspicuous by their absence.

 

Credit: PTI

 

The tribesmen, however, say that they are not committing any crime are just following tradition. Women’s intrusion into a predominantly male space is bound to create problems of governance. Women should demand for special quota since their views are taken on issues of importance.

 

Nagaland is the only state in the country that has never had a woman MLA. There may be women wings but they are at a very basic level and go no further than that.

 

Matrilineal or not, it is high time, the men in Nagaland realise that women are no longer going to happy just by being respected and asked for opinions when their actual presence or opinion on administrative affairs don’t count at all.