Nagaland: Support pours in for 33% reservation for women in urban local bodies

At a time when 33% reservation for women in the long-overdue Urban Local Bodies elections is all set to become a reality, Northeast Live spoke to the influential Naga Hoho and the NSF for their view on the issue.

After debating over the issue for almost 5 years, the state government in its consultative meeting on 9th March, with all mass based organizations, adopted a resolution to conduct the urban local body election with 33% reservation for women. However, despite the adoption of the resolution, a few Tribal Hohos have yet again expressed their reservation over the move.

The Naga Hoho, which had in 2017 opposed the move, has now given a go-ahead for conducting the election with 33% reservation for women.

Talking to Northeast Live Naga Hoho General Secretary Elu Ndang, said that in the past, initially when 33% women reservation was introduced Naga Hoho had some reservations on taxations and infringement of Art 371 (A) which gives protection to the customary practices of the naga society and therefore we have raised certain queries to the govt in the past and those have already been clarified.

Ndang added that it was now time for the Nagas to move forward and take women on board.

Meanwhile, the Naga Students’ Federation also said that it was time the Naga women were given their due.