Bodies still contentious on women reservation in Nagaland
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Dimapur, July 30 2011:
In Nagaland, the issue of 33 percent Women Reservation Act continues to be a contentious.
This Bill has been outrightly rejected particularly by many tribal based organisations of Nagaland saying that it challenges the customary laws and the social fabric of the Nagas.
It is worth noting that Women Reservation Act was amended and passed by the sixty-member Nagaland Legislative Assembly in the year 2006 whereby a total of 81 seats have been identified as reserved for women in all Town and Municipal Councils in Nagaland.
Since then, the tug of war for its implementation has been continuing.
Last month, the Action Committee on Women Reservation served a one month ultimatum for implementation of the Act in all Town and Municipal Councils while strongly questioning the Nagaland Government on its failure to implement the amended Act.
Sometimes ago, Nagaland's Mokokchung district, where the Act was first meant to be implemented in 2008 in the Mokokchung Town Municipal (MTC) election, the All Wards Union Mokokchung (AWUM) and the four landowner villages of Mokokchung town had barricaded the DC's office so that no woman could file nomination.
Now, standing firm on the issue, president of Watsu Mundang Dr Imlirenla Walling said that they are ever ready to face any consequences or whatever punishment is to be meted out to them for their stand.
"If they want to ex-communicate us for fighting for our rights, we are ready to do it," she added, while putting across that the Ao women are united in this regard.
All tribal women bodies have also been coming out in strong support of implementation.
A writ petition was filed by the Naga women at the Guwahati High Court, Kohima, last month seeking implementation of women reservation in the civic bodies as well as holding of these overdue elections.
On July 15, the first hearing was held.
In the second hearing on July 25, the Court dismissed the petition filed by the State Government seeking time till September this year to come out with some amendments in Nagaland Municipal and Town Council Act 2006 before implementing the women reservation policy.
August 10 has been set for the final hearing.