Dimapur, Jan. 26: Women wing of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) Central, noted with deep anguish how some women activists have taken active part in the recent protest rally at Dimapur against women reservation and holding of elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) by making scathing remarks o the party leadership and the government.
Reacting to the remarks of those women activists, NPF women working president, Khriezobeinuo Sanchu, said those women activists simply appeared not to care about the welfare of the status of women in the Naga society and have so far being pretending to strive for the uplift of womenfolk in the society.
‘The very fact that they have gone against the wise decision of the Government not to await the verdict of the Supreme Court but to go ahead and hold elections to the ULBs with 33% reservation for women so as to uphold the sanctity of Article 371 A of the Constitution of India, speaks volumes about the depth of their concern for the Naga society as a whole,’ the statement said.
At a time when womenfolk are having sleepless nights and worrisome days concerned about how their better halves are protesting against reservation for their own womenfolk on ULBs as if the reserved seats would go to women from other States of the Country, it is distressing to find certain vested women jumping into the bandwagon and going all out against the decision of the Government which is being hailed as far-sighted, wise as well as bold by the discerning citizens of the State, it added.
It said those variant women activists will go down the annals of Naga history as modern-day ‘Quislings’ adding the future generations will remember them with disdain and mistrust.
Meanwhile, it appealed the Naga menfolk to consider the issue with all fairness, saying legal luminaries, including the apex Court, have assured that reservation for women in municipalities and town councils does not, in any way, infringe upon Article 371 A; objections raised by some tribal organisations to certain provisions in the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 have been rectified through the 3rd Amendment of the said Act in November 2016.
It expressed alarmed that the issue is snowballing into such proportion and threatening to sharply divide the Naga society, the sexes, and even the tribal bodies from the individual villages whose competence and authority to uphold and execute Naga customary practices appear to be usurped. It has called for serious introspection by all for the cohesion of the Naga society.
NPF women appealed to all agitating organisations to let the ULB elections take a logical and peaceful conclusion by give women a chance in the decision-making bodies. It expressed willingness to let the Government go for necessary adjustments/ amendments to the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001 if their participation is found to be detrimental to the society as a whole.
It further appealed to every woman to patiently reason with their male kindred to make them understand the need to let elections to the ULBs with reservation for women be held as scheduled and not to resort to any violent or unlawful means that would create unwanted situations in the society.
