The patriarchal Nagaland has been held to ransom by some tribal organisations, which are staging protests on a regular basis against the State Government's recent decision to allow 33 per cent reservation for women in the forthcoming urban local polls.
Several tribal bodies in the State have called bandhs and agitation programs in the last few days and also threatened to boycott the urban local polls slated for February 1. The call of different Hohos (apex organizations of the tribes) has also led to dismal figures in filing of nominations for the urban local polls in 11 districts of the state in the last two days. The Ao Sengden (a tribal body of Ao tribe) , issued diktat prohibiting the people from participating in the election saying that anyone from the Ao community found violating this order would be liable to "questioning and appropriate punishment".
"The Article 371 (A) of the Indian Constitution empowers the Naga people to decide their own laws as per customs and traditions. We do not have any problem if women take up political leadership. But we are against the reservation," said a senior leader of the Ao Sengden.
like Ao Sengden, the Sumi Hoho, Chakhesang Public Organization and two Ao village councils, Khar and longchemdang had also urged the candidates to withdraw their nominations for the February 1civic polls.
It may be mentioned here that the Naga Mothers Association (NMA), a powerful organization of the state, had filed a case in the Supreme Court demanding 33 percent reservation of seats for women in civic polls. The NMA had also convinced the state government that there is no legal obstacle in holding the election with 33 percent reservation for women.
Bodies like Ao Sengden, however, opposed the move by NMA, saying that the women organization took the matter to the court without any consultation with the 'Naga Society'.
"In Naga society a woman is not considered to be equal to men. She is not even allowed to speak in Panchayat until and unless she is summoned by it. Providing 33 percent reservation to women amounts to giving her the same status as men and it gives men inferiority complex," said Hokiye Sema, the President of Central Naga Tribal Council, who opposes the reservation for women.
"The Naga society is governed by customary laws for hundreds of years and it is not good to wipe those laws out by anyone," he said.
Kohima, the capital of Nagaland has been selected as a city to be developed under the smart city project declared by the central government. As per guidelines a special purpose vehicle has to be formed with the elected body of the concerned municipality for this purpose but Kohima has not held the urban local body election for over a decade.
It may be mentioned here that the government of Nagaland during a recent cabinet meeting has decided to proceed with the election despite protests said that the reservation of 33 percent of seats for women will not infringe upon the rights of the Naga people.