Dimapur, Jan. 23: The Joint Action Committee for Women Reservation (JACWR) has stated that Naga women too have fundamental rights, one being the right to participate in the electoral process. However, the rights have been violated by threats and coercion, the committee lamented in a statement to the media on Monday.
“The aspirations of the other half of the Naga population, Naga women, our fundamental rights, the right to participate in the electoral process has been violated by the bandhs, threats and use of force in the towns where candidates, including women were unable to file their nominations or forced to withdraw their nominations,” the committee stated.
The voice of the women is being “muffled by unprecedented unchristian methods of destruction of private property of candidates, banishment and excommunications of candidates,” including women candidates and leaders by tribal organisations, it noted.
“We urge the various tribe organisations to allow the democratic right of each citizen to elect good, capable leaders who will bring proper development of their towns in various parts of the state. We call for peaceful, democratic elections for the proper development of all towns in the state,” it appealed.
The JACWR also protested the ‘undemocratic methods and threats’ upon citizens. It urged the state’s government to protect the rights of citizens and candidates and ensure that the democratic process for elections to the town councils and municipalities are strictly held on schedule.
Here, the committee categorically stated that the municipal and town council elections was “not a hasty decision” of the government but from a directive, an ‘interim relief order’ given by the Supreme Court of India itself on the 5th of April 2016. The directive from the court was the outcome of a series of hearings that were held in the Supreme Court based on the Special Leave Petition that was admitted in 2013 and heard till April 2017, the committee stated.
“We also urge few lawyers who have been misinterpreting that this case has not been heard to check the Supreme Court Cause List of 5th April 2017 which was listed for final hearing and hence the interim order to hold elections and implement women reservation,” the JACWR stated.
Further, the committee explained, although there was no Stay Order on holding the elections for the past many years, Nagaland has not held mandatory elections in the towns.
“The series of objections from respected tribe organisations over the past days, ranging from taxation of land and house, customary laws, customary practices, Article 371A, has finally culminated in clear statements opposing reservation for women and seeking further review and amendment of the Municipal Act,” the committee remarked.
With the Nagaland Legislative Assembly omitting the house and land taxes, and reservation for SC, the committee remarked that it was now “obvious” that the real grudge of ‘certain sections of the society’ was the question of empowering women through reserved seats in the municipal and town councils.
“It is shocking how the provisions of the Nagaland Municipal Act has been misinterpreted by vested interests, to the innocent villagers in many communities, whereby they have been made to believe their very existence is being threatened by an Act which is meant to develop towns, with no jurisdiction whatsoever over villages,” the committee stated.
Further, the committee wondered how the demand to hold municipal elections might be considered “anti Naga” when the rest of the Naga population had been actively participating in general, parliamentary and town council elections over the past many decades in the state.
“Elected councillors will be the decision makers and utilise the development funds and not the government, as per the Act. It is an empowerment of Urban Local Bodies of which women councillors are a mandatory part of the system,” the committee added.
