“Nagaland against Women Reservation”

Kohima : A consultative meeting of Naga civil organizations, apex tribal hohos, students’ bodies and women organisations convened by the All-Political Party Consultative Committee to discuss the 108th (Amendment) Act 2008 (33% Women Reservation Bill), has decided not to implement it  in Nagaland.
Highly-placed sources revealed that the meeting convened by the APPCC discussed at length on the issue. However, it was informed that a majority of the representatives present from apex tribal bodies and students’ unions ‘diplomatically’ expressed their views against implementing the reservation bill for women in Nagaland.
Most of the speakers, out of the 35 organisations attending the crucial meeting are said to have opined that the Naga society “does not discriminate” or “deprive women folk”  in any field  and so the 33% women reservation bill should not be implemented in the State.
On the other hand, some organizations asked for implementation of the reservation bill while explaining that theoretically ‘it is easy to say that there is no discrimination or deprivation amongst men or women, but practically it does not imply’.
However, with a majority of the civil organizations  voting against the implementation of the bill, the meeting decided to submit a representation to the Parliament not to impose the reservation bill in the State of Nagaland. This way, it would giving an indication that “Nagaland” is “against” the 33 percent Women Reservation.
Earlier, a questionnaire was handed over to the 35 representatives attending the meeting where 18 stood against the bill while 12 stood in favour. There were four “partial view” while one “was silent”, sources said.  At the end the meeting, it was concluded that the “Naga society” is against the 33 percent reservation in the state.
Mention may be made here that political parties of the state have already discussed the matter on earlier two occasions last year under the chairmanship of the NLA Speaker but were unable to take any concrete decision and the issue has finally been decided in today’s consultative meeting.
Today’s meeting was attended by PHE minister Dr Nganshi, Forest minister MC Konyak, Parliamentary Secretary Chumben Murry, NPF president and DAN minister Dr Shurhozelie, NLA Deputy Speaker Ralangthung, and the Nagaland Women Commission chairman Sano Vamuzo.