Women quota: Govt. will go ahead with decision, Zeliang says

Dimapur, August 18 : In the backdrop of the some community organizations expressing opposition to the recent decision of the Nagaland Cabinet to implement the 33% reservation for women in the urban local body elections, Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Thursday iterated that his government will go ahead with said decision.

Talking to media persons during the sidelines of an Indian Red Cross event in Kohima town, Zeliang responded to queries. He said that although some civil organizations were against holding the municipal polls with 33% reservation for women in place, he said that the Nagaland Cabinet had already decided to hold the ULB elections with said reservation. The decision was taken on August 11 last.
Therefore, Zeliang said, in accordance with said decision, the state government is proceeding to hold the municipal elections and, with it, the 33% reservation for women.

The governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya, has also pitched in with an appeal to the people to give the fairer gender their place in ‘every field of life.’ As the Indian subcontinent celebrates Raksha Bandhan with a pledge to empowering the girl child as central to development of the community, the governor of Nagaland has urged the people to support the 33% reservation for women.

The government has taken the right step to empower women by giving them an opportunity to be part of ‘every field’ including decision-making, the governor said in a message issued to the media marking Raksha Bandhan on August 18.
The governor appealed to the people to support the 33% reservation for women which he said was mandatory as per the constitution. ‘The government has taken the right step in empowering the women and giving them opportunity in every field of life including in the field of politics,’ the message read.

In his message, Governor Acharya called for community building as the country celebrates Raksha Bandhan, which celebrates the brother-sister bond. The occasion is marked by sisters tying a ‘Rakhi’, a thread, on their brothers, and with prayers for long life for the latter.

Acharya appealed to the people to stop discrimination as manifested through gender bias, sex selection, and post-birth discrimination against the girl child. He has urged for sponsorship of girls under the Bati Bachao Beti Padhao (‘save daughter, educate daughter’) scheme to empower them.

Anyone willing to sponsor can deposit funds as per their desire to the SBI A/C no. 35843617072 in favor of Beti Bachao Beti Badhao scheme, SBI Kohima main branch. The IFSC code is SBIN000214. Once deposited, the Raj Bhavan may be contacted, the message read.

On August 12, the Naga Hoho had issued a press statement asking the government to ‘keep in abeyance’ the Nagaland Cabinet’s decision to implement the reservation for women.

Also, strongly opposing the decision of the state’s cabinet was the Ao Senden. The apex Ao Naga organization had asserted that it could never accept the Act to be implemented in the near future in the Ao areas.