The existing sharp gender divide over the question of 33% reservation for women in local bodies—Municipal and Town Councils has once again come out into the open with strong arguments posed by representatives from women groups on the one side and the male dominated tribal bodies and village councils opposed to 33% reservation. Rallying support for their respective point of views, both groups have made their stand. Obviously there exists a fundamental difference. Strong points exist in the arguments posed by both groups. Some will argue that since women constitute almost 50% of the State’s population, one will have to take into consideration in full measure and proper perspective, the involvement of women in the noble task of the State’s development. Others will say that Nagaland does not conform to the general perception of women’s status in India and that traditionally women have been cared for. Still others will argue that a woman in Naga society has been kept limited within the confines of a patriarchal system and that an area of concern is that she continues to be excluded from decision making process. This will be countered by the votaries defending Naga customary laws.
While it is easy to get carried away in the heat of one’s argument, the debate over 33% women quota should also be used as a time to gloss over the role women have played, the areas where their participation has to go up and also the issues that needs to be taken up in conjunction with the overall development of the State. On the other hand it is debatable as to whether 33% quota is the right way forward. Several times in these columns we have mentioned that for women empowerment in elective bodies to succeed in the long run, their representation within political parties must first significantly increase. This has to emerge out of the political process itself. So the question is whether our political parties, they are giving opportunities for women leaders to play a more proactive role even at the party level. If our memory serves us right during one of the seminars held a few years ago under the aegis of Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW), one of the recommendation called for “inclusion and fielding of women candidates by all the political parties in Nagaland” for the Assembly elections. So basically the NSCW was not so much pushing the case for 33% women quota but rather encouraging more tickets to women candidates.
And so the question remains on whether giving party tickets or even one-third reservation would properly address the issue of Naga women’s marginalization from decision making processes. While it may bring about a quantitative jump in the proportion of women in legislatures or municipal bodies, will it also lead to the improved quality of governance in these bodies? One may simply end up feminizing crime and corruption if women remain content to play the rules set by men already in power rather than working to change them in ways that will make our governing structures more democratic. Likewise, the proposal made in good intention by the NSCW ignores the ground realities since women would not be able to contest a fair election keeping in mind the growing nexus between politics-crime-muscle power-gun culture and violence. Having said all this, it is obvious that the State government does not have much of a choice when it comes to the existing law—Nagaland Municipal Act 2006. So 33% reservation for women appears inevitable whatever the critics may say. The only thing that could possibly come in the way of implementing the constitutional provision is perhaps the impending Naga political settlement, if it comes sooner then later. If that is the case then we may have to change many of our plans—elections, delimitation, women quota etc.
