Naga Mothers’ Association demands immediate suspension of IAS officer

• DIMAPUR — Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) has strongly condemned the various incidents of sexual-harassment meted out to some of the women employees of Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) allegedly by the joint secretary, Reny Wilfred, during his tenure at the IDAN office and demanded his immediate suspension.
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• An update from NMA stated that in a joint meeting at the office of Nagaland State Women Commission (NSWC) on April 19, the association had listened to the victims and their personal traumatised stories of sexual harassment by the perpetrator on the female employees, both within and outside the IDAN office premises.
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• While expressing solidarity with the brave young women, who had the courage to raise their complaints of sexual harassment at the work place, the association has demanded punitive action as per the law on the top government official of the state.
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• It questioned the chief secretary and the state government as to how an officer under an investigation was allowed to sit in another department and use the premises to conduct a press conference in the midst of such serious allegations against him and an ongoing trial on the Noklak sexual assault case.
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• “We are shocked, dismayed and appalled to learn that he still occupies the position of joint secretary, Finance, despite his removal from the IDAN office,” the statement read.
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• NMA has demanded his immediate suspension and removal from the post of joint secretary of Finance to allow an impartial police SIT investigation. NMA also expressed shocked to learn of the Writ Petition filed against the State Women Commission members by the IAS officer in the midst of the SIT police investigation on him, though he is on anticipatory bail.

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• “This is harassment of the State Women Commission members, who are duty bound to protect any victims who approach the Commission. This act is an insult to all of us Naga women by an outsider and a non-Naga,” NMA said.
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• NMA further appealed to the tribe women organisations to come forward in solidarity and protect their daughters and let justice be seen.
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• “We have not educated and brought up our daughters to be sexually harassed, terrorised, humiliated, threatened at the workplace by a high-ranking predator officer, who is a shame to the whole IAS fraternity in the state and the country,” it added.