R.C. Chiten Jamir
Naga woman occupies a very unique position of eminence, respect, honour, adoration and recognition in the Naga society. The Naga woman is the centre of Naga way of life and she is the most important potentiality of society’s economic assets, development and progress.
But these are not good enough to assert the full humanity of womanhood as designed by the ingenuity of God as found in the Genesis 1:26-27. The special account of her creation in (Genesis 2:18-24) emphasizes woman’s superiority to all lower animals, men’s need for her as helper, her intimate relationship to man as part of his inner most being. Although many of the Old Testament woman were mere shadowy, as sub-ordinate figures, the patriarchal wives, such as Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel were outstanding, likewise Moses sister Miriam (Ezod 2:1-9; 15:21; Num 12). In the Judges’ period Deborah judged the Israelites, she was a prophet – (Jud 4,5) Ruth the Moabitess was a chaste blessing to Israel. Hannah the woman of faith who feared God became the mother of Prophet Samuel. (1Sam 1-2,11). There were also Queens, both good and bad, otherwise the ancient world was man’s world. In the ancient Naga society also similar situation existed. It was a society in which the woman was subordinated to a near isolation from the affairs of the society (the village). The woman had no say in the administration of the village, she did not participate in head-hunting or community hunting of especially tigers and wild pigs. However, if there were no woman, head-hunting with songs of praises and adorations to celebrate the victory of Mangkho-Trong, no man would have dared to go for heads. In the same manner, if the woman did not accompany the man, encouraging him and giving him drinks and foods, hunting of tigers and wild pigs would not have been held in the villages. If the Naga woman had not held the man of heroes to be honoured with songs and praises and decorated him with all sorts of ornaments and decorated him with deigns of Naga shawls, man could not have been inspired by the woman.
It was a fact that the ancient Naga customary laws and practices were made to suit the likes and dislikes of man. This was surely not according to God’s designed purpose nor was it His will that man should subordinate his helper, the better half of him. For the convenience of man, he isolated the woman his own helper, this w as the root cause of the various ills in the society which have dogged the Naga society till now.
God created the tiny fireflies to ward off the darkness. In the same way He had created and still creating big and little stars of Naga Women, who fear God, are faithful, intelligent, trustworthy and morally strong. Hallelujah!
The Gospel of Luke is full of evidence of Jesus’ understanding of and sympathy with women, which set a pattern for normal Christian living. In His time, there were women, who accompanied the disciples on missionary, journeys; who provided for them out of their means- Luke 8:3. It is recorded in the Bible that women remained at the crucifixion until the burial of the body of Christ. They were the first at the empty tomb. The disciples met in the house of Mary mother of John Mark in Jerusalem- Acts 12:12. Women were the first converts in Europe including Lydia at Philippi- Acts 16:13-15. Phoebe, a deaconess, and many woman were greeted in Romans 16.
Man is head of woman but woman is the body of man- his flesh, they are one. They were ordered to be fruitful, to multiply and replenish the earth- together (Gen 1:28). In the family, community, church and the state they are designed by God to live and work together.
Next to God, humanity is indebted to women for life itself and making it worth living. A magnetic virtue, there is in women, a charming quality that charms men. Man has his will but woman has her way. A hearth is an empty place and a fallow ground where no seeds are sown unless a woman sit by it. If an elaborate study is made as to the ingenuity displayed by women in the pursuit of rifles, there is not the slightest doubt of their capabilities for the most Herculean undertakings in all fields of life.
According to the Scriptures, the woman was formed out of man not of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to subordinate her. She was made to be his equal, from near his heart to be loved and protected.
Throughout the world there is a persistent demand for the empowerment of women. Women are not altogether wrong if they refuse the redundant rules of life prescribed for them, because men alone had established the customary rules and practices to suit men’s designs and desires without the consent of the women. There is widespread and growing awareness in today’s world that with more and more women of our day coming to the forefront, there is an urgent urge to creativeness which lies underneath and deeper, above and beyond the begetting of children. Modern women have a contract with life itself. Christians are well aware that our Lord Jesus does not confer any second-class citizenship. In Christ all men and women are set free to seek the abundance of life. Neither does the Constitution provide a different class of citizenship for women.
The days of despotic ruler, the rule of men are gone. The rigidity of outlandish and anachronistic customary particularism of the villages and the tribes have to give way to present day needs and perspectives and go much beyond the limits of anachronistic boundaries. The rigid and aristocratic customary rules and practices must become adaptable to modern way of life without sacrificing the genuine traditional identities.
All the grassroot level that is at the Naga village level- the participation of women in the village (putu)/council may not be contemplated at this point of time. It is desirable, however, that statutory provisions should be made to enable women to participate, as a matter of right, in the village/area/tribal development boards and local councils like Town Committees, Municipals, Legislatures, etc. In this transitory and short life, if men and women work together in all spheres of life, it will be a fulfillment of God’s plan and it will surely do immense good to humanity rather than doing harms to it. In this case also the principle of ‘Live and let Live’ will be applied. St.Paul said, ‘I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say’. 1 Cor 10:15.
