DIMAPUR, MARCH 7 (MExN): A petition for the implementation of 33% reservation for Naga women in the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) has been submitted to the Prime Minister of India, Chief Minister of Nagaland and various other bodies.
They include the Nagaland State Commission for Women, Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (India), The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), UN Women: United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, Commission on the Status of Women (UN), Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), and the International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA).
The petition has 735 signatures supporting Naga women’s rights to participate in ULB elections as per the constitutional provisions and as directed by the Supreme Court of India, informed a press release. These signatures were collected across North America, Australia, India, Canada, Europe, and the African nations.
They appealed to the Naga community and the respective state and central government bodies to “recognize the importance of a gender inclusive political participation.” “Given the political and society history of Naga society (in Nagaland), all the signatories affirm that the 33% reservation is a necessary affirmative action,” the statement said.
It asked the Government of India to “refrain from granting exemption to the State of Nagaland from Part IX A of the Constitution if such application is put forth,” and demanded that the state government of Nagaland to immediately resume the Urban Local Body (ULB) election procedure and schedule a date at the earliest, while ensuring the safety of the women candidates and voters.
It further appealed to the civil societies to set up a citizen inquiry committee consisting of women’s rights activists, lawyers, academics, civil and political rights organisations, policy makers and citizens to investigate the violence that has caused death, destruction of property and immeasurable suffering to Naga society.
The petition also proposed a public debate and discussion on customary law in Nagaland, “keeping the focus on women’s active political participation, particularly in Naga civic and customary bodies.”
