Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, AUGUST 23
HOME Minister, G Kaito Aye on Friday underscored the need to forge a middle path- “a meeting point where we can come to a certain understanding”- between the state government and Naga women group(s).
Speaking at a seminar on gender sensitization among police personnel, judiciary and civil society members here today at the Police Complex in Chumukedima, the Home Minister reasoned that “quarrelling with one another” would not be “healthy” for the society. The seminar was organized by the Nagaland State Commission for Women. “I request the women groups to retrospect and see that our (Naga) tradition and culture should prevail under certain circumstances,” Aye said.
Though he stopped short of specifically mentioning the 33% seat reservation for women, which of late has been a bone of contention between the state government and women groups in Nagaland, the underlying message from the Home Minister was stark.
Aye suggested that the “mothers” should “take things slowly” and refrain from indulging in confrontations, for the sole reason that there is always a room for compromise.
He also felt that gender sensitization in the state would be able to script its own success story only when the “mothers and civil societies” go back home and “finish the work within the family and community.” It all starts in the family, Aye said.
Another way of “tackling the issue”, according to the Home Minister, was to introduce “gender sensitization” related curriculum in schools.
Nagaland Director General of Police, B Kezo also observed that the imbroglio which presently defines the 33% reservation issue in the state was nothing but a “reflection of male chauvinism.”
The DGP argued that, regardless of differences in social behavioral patterns, any sign or incident of gender discrimination in a society is a manifestation of “moral corruption.”
Resource person and Director of Women Development, Neilaou Keditsu underscored that point that “we have gone past the stage of conducting awareness seminars” with regard to gender sensitization.
“It is time for us to organize meets that are more on a consultative level and take concrete steps to assess out fight for the rights of women”, she emphasized.
Another resource person and Inspector General (Range), PF Zeliang argued against the notion that crime against women has increased in “leaps and bounds” recently. “I disagree with the previous speakers,” he said while pointing out that the past five years have seen a fluctuation in the ratio of crime against women, as reported to police stations across the state.
“Police can give the best protection if all the women, in a village or a town, stay in one house. I can guarantee that we can protect all of them if they stay and live in one place. But unless such scenario is possible, it is practically not possible for police to secure each and every individual. I am snot trying to shift the job or pass the buck to the public here,” he admitted.
Zeliang told the civil society leaders that unless they lend their support to the police, it was almost impossible to tackle any sort of crime. “It is very difficult to cover every nook and corner. And hence it is very important that the public are brave enough to speak out and bear witness (to any crime cases),” he felt.
Zeliang reiterated that he was not indulging in a “blame-game” but solely trying to drive home the message that tackling crime is a “collective social responsibility.”
Other resource persons for the day-long seminar include DIG and Nodal Officer of Human Rights and Anti-Human Trafficking, Nagaland Police, K Elias and Chief Judicial Magistrate of Dimapur, Mezivolu Therieh.
Altogether forty-two organizations, both from government and non-government sectors, attended the seminar.
