Aheli Moitra
You want to hear this story.
Couple of days back, right after the international observance for gender equity had passed (on March 8), a Naga ‘chappie’ posted a public comment on Facebook bringing to futility every program in the State honouring women for achieving social equity, justice and parity in their context.
The post, while bringing to attention a nice phone and watch a “non local” chappie had gained access to while being just a vehicle mechanic, had more than envy of big things. Since the mechanic had the presumable money and control of the Naga economy thus, the young leader stated that “our women” (i.e. Naga women) will flock to “these people” (non Naga people) because, hey, “money talks.” Unabashedly drawing the argument to a close, he called upon all Naga ‘chappies’ to “take control of our own economy,” and in effect, “our women.” More than 600 “educated” people have ‘liked’ the post till now.
Two points here:
First, non Naga people always had more money than Naga people. There is nothing surprising about this given that Naga people have remained on the margins of world economy. White people of the west, Brahmins and neo Brahmins of the east and all such historically advantaged classes hold vast majority of the planet’s monetary wealth. They also control most of the world’s economy sitting on the shoulders of middle income taxpayers. Naga legislators and bureaucrats have dipped their feet in this pool and made thousands of fancy phones and watches out of it. No policies have been made to protect the drain of Naga economy. To begin with, thus, economic control means political control of these classes.
Second, Naga men do not own Naga women. The latter have far more control of their lives and markets than Naga men do. Lakhs of Naga women wilfully marry underprivileged Naga men with no prospect of wealth—lovingly they build lives together. So where does the argument that “our women will mostly go for these people since they have THE money and we DON’T” even come from? Is there a numeric or logical basis to this? Or is it prejudice on the part of an oppressor to dehumanise the oppressed (much like the common Indian prejudice that Naga people live in jungles)?
The argument comes from the social and political control of women’s bodies and minds that patriarchy has always promoted—that the lives of women are governed by the choices of men (in this case money and economy that has come to rule the imagination of Naga men). Through its heightened sense of insecurity, it has reduced women to objects of history, politics or the economy instead of active participants, taking away agency that every woman as a product of her social upbringing is endowed with.
Beyond the realms of the State though, in majority of rural or urban Naga households, women put in more than double the labour of men, take care of their families and then sit in markets (selling vegetables to second hand clothing) securing their economic independence. There are some who run their own money lending or other rackets. But women own a negligible portion of the wealth that Naga men own and govern over. They are not even allowed to think or take action to reverse this injustice. So where does the real problem lie?
The political sovereignty to decide that a marketplace should also provide mothers with childcare facilities/schools remains missing because Naga men are in charge of such policies that never get made. This keeps women permanently peripheral. Little do they realise that getting women into policy making could translate into decisions that make the Naga economy further independent and self governed. It is the inequities promoted by men that have hindered the process.
Social and political equity and justice through human rights for all creates the onus for freedom and peace. The constant hammering of the fear of an outsider, or how “our women” are running to “them,” has misled male-dominated societies for centuries, keeping them in a constant state of violent conflict. It is time to begin examining how Naga women are making sovereign choices, within or outside traditional windows, and slowly, but surely, coming to reign their destiny. This is not for you to control, own or oppress.
In solidarity with women, moitramail@yahoo.com
