The hyperbolic excitement that has been created by 33% women reservation in municipal bodies is indeed titillating and even amusing to see the civil societies justify their point as they vouch for or against. The show becomes even more interesting as the final countdown inches nearer. The credibility of the government will be tested by how it maneuvers itself out despite all odds.
But what’s the big deal to create much bruhaha over a 33% reservation for women in the municipal bodies that would affect only 28% of Nagaland population (urban).
Taking a dip at the background of reservation, through the 73rd & 74th constitutional Amendment, 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj and municipal bodies came into vogue since 1993. Nagaland not being part of VI schedule, Panchayati Raj never reached Nagaland. The other 33% women reservation which is pending in Lok Sabha is reservation in parliament and state legislative assemblies under constitutional amendment Act 108 which should not be confused with the former two amendments.
By culture & tradition, Naga society is not prejudiced or discriminatory towards women folk & women themselves might never have felt oppressed at any point of time unlike the mainland Hindu or Muslim society where women folk suffer from cradle to grave, hence reservation is imperative. But the sad truth is, Nagaland since statehood has not yet produced a single women minister or MLA save a lone MP Rano saiza once upon a time and the mainland society whom we dare to compare has already produced 16 governors and 14 chief ministers in different states since independence.
The reason for such dismal picture could be due to prevailing unfavorable political atmosphere & the skeptical mind set of man folk or the unenthusiastic nature of women themselves.
Reservation & empowerment
Today the empowerment of women has become necessary as an integral part of development & progress which can be vitiated through policy making for which reservation is aimed to provide level playing field to women folk. Its objective is to empower women whereby they are able to organize themselves, increase their own self reliance, to assist their independent right to make choice, to control resources which will assist in challenging & eliminating their own subordination. Thus, it means giving power to and creating power within women, so that they are able to decide their position in society & experience a sense of ownership & control. Reservation is thus to promote women’s inherent strength and positive self-image through power sharing since they are unable to came to that level under present circumstance. This is called as protective discrimination akin to reservation in the constitution for ST/ SC/OBC or other weaker sections in the states which is the basic idea of right to equality.
With almost half the population (954,895) women completely absent in policy making body is not an encouraging sight. But in a male dominated society like Nagaland women folk will not suddenly rise to policy making level for a varied reasons just like the backward tribes who won’t be able to compete in open general category without reservation.
Just as a person won’t fully understand the pang of birth a mother undergoes until one undergoes the same oneself, so also policies framed for women won’t fully attend to the needs of women until the policy maker is women herself.
Socio-cultural constrains
By our culture & tradition there is no seeming discrimination against women but with the demand of time & circumstances, empowering them has become imperative to make them more proactive from being a passive player. Also with society becoming more sophisticated & complex with the growth of population, women’s role in socio-economic & political field has also increased. But the usual problem with culture is that it doesn’t undergo change overnight irrespective of good or not so good culture whether it is the Eskimos who lend his wife to his guest as a kind host, or the mussalman of Middle Ages whose integrity & honor is adjudged from the height of his daughter’s room ventilation (no windows) or the Hindus prejudice towards girl child or the matrilineal set up of the khasis where the poor cuckled hubby can be kick out anytime from home by the vicious she-guy or our elegant Angh with his dozen wives even in Christian society or the bride price of the semas. Whenever any change (within or without) is attempted, the notion of threat is perceived more often than the idea of change which is usually countered as unnecessary interference and in most cases only strengthen its resolve to zealously espouse and romanticized the same. However, culture & tradition which don’t meet the humane & rational standard of human society becomes outdated & falls out of fashion. Needless to say, its astounding to see Naga civil societies opposing women reservation citing culture & tradition as the reason, and shockingly from sections who are considered better off & expected to be exemplarity are the most vehement & death kneel against the same. Frankly, its not all convincing how reservation is detrimental to article 371(A) to alter traditional land holding or customary practices. In contrast it tantamount to misinterpretation of laws to ones’ own advantages which don’t augurs well for our future cultural praxis and may tarnish the novel fabric and reduce the democratic credentials of our institution. But it would also portray our tradition and customary practices as archaic social structure which assigns only domestic roles & treat women as incapable of handling political affairs. The experience of reservation in other states where even up to 50% reservation is given did not alter traditional land holdings or disrupted the patrilineal social set up. No custom and tradition can be term good or rich when it is against the deprived lot of half the population (women) an effective and meaningful participation in the functioning of our institution. If any culture contradict with things like women reservation than that culture has outlived its utility and therefore best update itself according to the exigencies of time. The argument that women in policy making through equal competition with menfolk is not against culture & tradition but reservation is, sounds even more illogical.
In all these years of statehood we have been pathetically unable to frame any welfare laws save the institution of VDB & Communitization. Whether it is RTI, RTE, Panchayati Raj all comes from Delhi wholesomely and its unwise to oppose the good one made for our progress while we are unable to make one on our own. The experience of 33% reservation in states like MP, UP, Rajasthan shows that women responded to mobilization & have taken keen interest on issues like food, water, work, violence, etc. it also brought a marked change in the knowledge, attitude, lifestyle, self-identity, etc. it gave them a chance to understand politics & talk power.
Reservation is also not for all times to come and it can be lifted anytime once there is fair representation. If there is even minimal representation then opposing reservation is justifiable but the hard reality is that it is too invisible, which means after all some mechanism is needed to empower women, had the policy didn’t come from parliament. It is not a matter of politicking or gendering but empowering the other half of humanity to tap their potentials & strengthen their capacities as a part of developmental process. Opposing the same may only procrastinate things but until one manages to change 74th Amendment Act or find a solid argument, the inevitable may happen sooner or later or if the matter hit the court once again, it’ll only be another futile venture with such pettifogging arguments. There may be even more legal implication in not enforcing it than implementing it & any unwise decision by men in power may stunt our progress or tantamount to taking a step backward. And no wonder, women in policy making team would complete those goggled men in blacks and portray our society as vibrant permeating “feels good” feelings to the viewers. Finally at the end of the day, one feels the issue in question should be about duration of reservation, modalities, increase or decrease of percentage, etc. but not whether to implement or not.
Zhokusheyi Rhakho
