5 women seek to enter all-male Nagaland House

NEW DELHI: I don’t blame the men, it is the women who never came forward for political roles in

Nagaland

,” said

Awan Konyak

, when asked if patriarchal mindset was why the state hasn’t elected a woman to its assembly since it came into existence in 1963. Konyak is one of the five women knocking on the doors of history as candidates for the February 27 polls.

For a state that has denied 33% reservation to its women for urban civic bodies, electing a woman to the assembly seems to be a tough ask. The quota for women issue led to TR Zeliang resigning as the CM last year. The number of women candidates at five is an improvement from the two women who had thrown in their hats in the 2013 election and the highest number of women in Nagaland assembly polls at least in the last 20 years, said chief electoral officer Abhijit Sinha.

Awan has been chosen as the political heir to four-time MLA and former education minister Nyeiwang Konyak despite having three brothers. An MA in linguistics from Delhi University, Awan has been fielded by the recently floated Nationalist Democratic

Progressive Party

. Asked how she got to inherit her father’s political legacy, Awan said, “I have been brought up as one of the boys.”

“It was naturally assumed that Konyaks won’t nominate a woman. But I am here today because of peoples’ overwhelming support,” she said. Moamenla Amer, assistant professor of political science at Nagaland University, says conditioning of girls is also to be blamed for them not coming forward for political leadership.

“They don’t simply see themselves in that role,” she said.Another woman who is in with dogged resolve is BJP state vice-president Rakhila, who is contesting from Tuensang constituency on the party ticket for a second time. National People’s Party has fielded two women candidates, Dr K Mangyangpula, an alternative medicine practitioner, and Wedie-U Kronu (27), one of the youngest candidates, while Rekha Rose Dukru is contesting as an independent. Awan is hopeful.

“We five will hopefully be able to bring in change and create ground for the participation of more women in state politics,” she said. “Society is changing and we can see acceptance for Naga women in political sphere,” said Apang Lotam, Rakhila’s daughter-in-law, who’s spearheading her campaign.

Is the society changing? The verdict will be known only on March 3 when results are declared, but a change has started in earnest, and results will show.
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