Resource persons Rev Dr. Wati Aier and Ate Kevichusa, speaking at the ‘Deliberation on Naga Women: Looking Forward’ at Miqlat Ministry on October 14. (Morung Photo)
NACWR’s event deliberates some contemporary issues
Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 14
What makes a woman change her perception? What makes her become free and fearless? What are the challenges faced by Naga women in the contemporary society? These were some questions raised at a symposium titled, ‘Deliberation on Naga Women: Looking Forward’ held here at Miqlat Ministry, Dimapur on Saturday.
Ability to earn and independent makes a woman free and fearless, maintained Naga filmmaker Ate Kevichusa, who was one of the resource persons at the plenary session at the event organised by Nagaland Alliance for Children and Women Rights (NACWR).
Deliberating on the topic, ‘Progressive Women,’ Kevichusa noted that she draw here conclusion after traveling across the country with a show titled, ‘Angels of Rock’ that celebrated womanhood in all its forms and introduced Indian audiences to women achievers.
Sharing her experiences from the travelling, she said, “In short, economic independence changes perception, behaviours and makes women braver and fearless.”
Laying emphasise on expressing oneself, she asked the gathering not to make excuses but to grab every opportunity because “it might take one far and it might be the one’s true calling.”
The filmmaker also called upon women to fight for themselves and to be responsible not just for themselves, but for the society in general.
She further lauded the alliance for empowering and reaching out to the hundreds of lives.
Naga society continue to dwell on the past
For the Convenor of Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) Rev Dr. Wati Aier, the other resource person at the symposium, the journey to look forward and also the idea of becoming free “should come from within.”
Dr. Aier, who spoke on the topic, ‘Women in Contemporary Times: The Naga Dilemma,’ however, noted that, ‘looking forward’ can be scary at times.
In a contemporary Naga society, he also located the women liberation on the present structure of the society and urged upon the menfolks not to become slaves of concepts that belong to the past.
“Nagas keep looking back to the history, it is October 2017 but we are still in the 17th century. This is the problem with us. We have the latest gadgets and cars but we continue to dwell on the past. How can Naga society move when we are still in the past?” Aier asked.
The fact that the male counterpart look upon the female as inferiors is not the problem of women but of men. Competition between men and women should never come in, he stated.
An example of dwelling on the past is that Naga women still cannot participate in men community, Dr. Aier pointed out.
“Women cannot have their fathers’ properties and this is how our society is shamed. The longer menfolks stay in this kind of a philosophy, we will be our own victims whereas those who want to bring changes would grow at a faster pace,” he added.
In the present context, however, he opined that “Naga women are doing much better than me,” the FNR Convenor called upon women to march ahead and look forward with a vision to promote their identities.
“I have seen great ladies shine from humble backgrounds,” he said encouraging Naga women to continue to move forward.
Later, a discussion session with Vitono Gugu Haralu as facilitator reflected upon various issues covered in the deliberation.
