Nagaland’s eastern civil society unite for 33% women quota

The Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) has “out-rightly” expressed support to the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) and the Eastern Naga Women’s Organisation (ENWO) to the implementation of the 33% women reservation bill in Nagaland.

While “considering the emancipation of women from the clutch of inferiority to men,” the students group stated, the municipal election in the state should be “processed as declared by the state government,” it stated. 

The ENSF issued a press release on Thursday stating that the state “replicate the system” adopted by the state of Kerala where women’s reservation is about 50% and for which the south Indian state has governance that is ‘just and efficient.’

“Nagaland should replicate the system adopted by the state of Kerala where women’s’ share/reservation is about 50% where its governance is just and efficient,” the organization stated. “Today, women already enjoy 33% reservation in Gram Panchayat and Municipal election in India. However, in regard to special provision under Art 371 (a) where it states that no act of parliament unless passed by the state legislatures shall be enforceable in the state of Nagaland, it may be noted that the Nagaland State Legislative Assembly had already declared for municipal and town council election in accordance to the central municipal act where 33% of women reservation had been duly inculcated or should be strictly adhered.”

The organization has also appealed to Naga civil society and politicians “to unite the minds for progress and development rather than dragging us back to the primitive state and thoughts.”

The ENSF stated that it had aspiration that the government of Nagaland “immediately and seriously strive for accommodating our Naga women folk in the governing system.”

The organization stated: “It should also be seriously noted that the issues pertaining to the 33% women reservation should not hamper the municipal and town council election in any manner.   Any element that restrains the moves should be discouraged in the interest of development and progress.”

The Naga civil society should understand that in the absence of good governing ‘systems’ in the state, centrally-sponsored schemes and funds meant for development “are being deprived upon us.”

“It is also disheartening to know that about 30-35% of the state shares are being diverted for this purpose,” the press release stated.

The organization also opined that establishment of towns and declaring them town councils alone do “suffice the theory of its existence and survival.”

Such initiatives alone, the organization stated, should not be “confined to the politics of gaining vote alone but should foster on for development and growth by empowering the urban local bodies    to decide its growth within the constitutional provision and rights.”

The “sceptre falling into the wrong hand is the cause why Nagaland is still stagnant,” the ENSF stated. “It is also disheartening to known that a village gets more funds than any urban town in Nagaland. This is one factor why urbanisation is being stagnant in the state.”

The organization has also demanded that the urban local bodies (ULBs) should be immediately empowered with constitution “rights for self-governance.” 

(Al Ngullie, August 25, 2016; Eastern Mirror)

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