Some of those who voted YES had this to say:
• My dear Naga men, you cannot stop the fact that women are as good and better than men. If women were to become Chief Ministers and Ministers and Municipal Councilors in Nagaland, I bet you that Nagaland state would be a lot better today. I am sure there would be less corruption, there would be good governance and there would be no nepotism. Nagaland needs change today and that change will come about when women reservation is implemented. The old men are feeling threatened by women power and so they are opposing women reservation, but all their efforts will be in vain.
• Yes, I think the NPF with its majority in the state assembly is in the correct position to implement it. The Congress I am sure will also support the implementation because Congress leaders like Manmohan Singh and its party leader Sonia Gandhi is very much for the women reservation.
• At home women Raj you no.
• The state government seems to be concerned about the welfare of women in Nagaland. They have taken steps to constitute the Nagaland Women Commission and they have taken other steps to promote women. The women reservation issue is complicated and it is a real test for the state government. The women reservation issue is inevitable, if not today, tomorrow the women reservation bill will be implemented in Nagaland. When the whole world is talking about equality, how can Naga Goan Boras and the many male chauvinist Municipal Councilors obstruct progression. The women reservation is a step for development, which cannot be stopped. At the moment it is being delayed in Nagaland, but sooner or later it will become a reality. So instead of just watching, the State government in Nagaland should just go ahead and implement it.
Some of those who voted NO had this to say:
• No, not at all. The government in Nagaland would have set a historic trend if it implemented the reservation of women, which by the way has been approved by parliament and legalized by the Supreme Court. By unfortunately the Nagaland government has shown no political courage or the moral principles to implement this much needed law in Nagaland.
• Reservation bill was pass without proper discussion with civil society.
• Naga society is patriarchal in nature.
• The government is sleeping over it. It needs to be much more active on this issue. Rio and other broad minded leaders in NPF must not let the narrow minded NPF members bog them down. Rio will be remembered in history if he goes ahead and implements it. He must now show the leader that he claims to be.
• No, the state government is not serious at all about the women reservation issue. They are really afraid of women power.
• No. The government has not taken one step in trying to implement the reservation bill. They have no courage to introduce it. They are afraid of their own shadows and are being cowed down by the patriarchal tribal system.
• No, they are only interested in protecting and preserving their power.
• This rio gvt s afraid of real isue.
• Not by a long short. I really dont think the government cares at all. They have passed on the buck saying that the public dont want the reservation. This is not true because if we go by majority rule, the government should know that the women population is more than men and also the women are doing much better than men in society.
• Majority MLAs are not women, men wants to enjoy
• 33% unlikely now. Its not so much men against women as men unwilling to sacrifice their position. No politician (men and women) will willingly give up their power. That’s why they are politicians in the first place.
• Based on Naga customary law
• No, Since it is a state which has been ruled by male dominance for several decades, it will be a very unusual transition. Moreover the implementation will change the administrative situation from bad to worse because a state like Nagaland does not have sufficient women who are bold enough to take up decisions. Their inclusion will not change the scenario of the present situation
Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say:
• Personally I am not in support for reservation of any kind. I oppose reservation for Scheduled Tribes as well, because rather than treating us as equals with respect, the reservation policy has a way of undermining us. So reservation is out of question for me. But for every issue one must weigh the ground realities. In Nagaland there is not even one women legislature, for goodness sake, not even one councilor. This is a utter disgrace. Women today make up more than half the population in Nagaland and there is not even one legislature to represent their voice. This is very undemocratic. How can Nagas claim to be democratic when there is not a single woman legislature? This is a problem that the state government cannot solve because they all consist of old men who want nothing more than to increase their power and accumulate their wealth. A social revolution is required.
• If Naga people trying to catching up with the other parts of the world. I think we should seriously look into the reservation for women..I think women too have their own capabilities and principles. Thailand woman prime minister is also one of the good indication that brown race women can also do it.
• The Women Reservation Bill should not be politicized. Its a landmark legislation. Women have been marginalized from political power for centuries now, and this Bill is a genuine attempt to wrest power from a male dominated society. The reservation bill is only 33%, which is still less that equal so I dont see any reason why the men should question or obstruct it. Nagas claim to be a democratic society, if this is the case, than the women reservation bill should be welcomed and should be implemented. In fact, Nagaland should set a trend by increasing the reservation bill to 50% so that it is really equal opportunity. But it seems like the Naga men do not want to share power with women and are denying them their rights. Its a shame that there is not even one elected woman representative either in the state assembly or in the municipal council. This shows that Nagas are not so democratic after all.
• The Naga womenfolk in the current scenario of 51:49 sex ratio of the state population are by and large well educated and enterprising who can push themselves harder in the face of any challenges as they confidently not only compete with their male counterpart through open, stiff and fair competition but also doing much better than the latter on many sphere of life while being aware of their rights and duties on equal terms with the opposite sex on all aspects. Taking all these contextual statements into account, they are in no way playing second fiddle to men as some ill-conceived notion may still have thought to be so due to outmoded parochial mindset. Thus, I see no great reason why the Naga women are making hue and cry over this 33% women reservation as it may be a means to an end but not the end in itself. Last but not the least, one out to take note of how the government handling this very issue with kid gloves so far. As of now, it is unwise for the govt to bulldoze the Act into law.
• My dear Naga men, you cannot stop the fact that women are as good and better than men. If women were to become Chief Ministers and Ministers and Municipal Councilors in Nagaland, I bet you that Nagaland state would be a lot better today. I am sure there would be less corruption, there would be good governance and there would be no nepotism. Nagaland needs change today and that change will come about when women reservation is implemented. The old men are feeling threatened by women power and so they are opposing women reservation, but all their efforts will be in vain.
• Yes, I think the NPF with its majority in the state assembly is in the correct position to implement it. The Congress I am sure will also support the implementation because Congress leaders like Manmohan Singh and its party leader Sonia Gandhi is very much for the women reservation.
• At home women Raj you no.
• The state government seems to be concerned about the welfare of women in Nagaland. They have taken steps to constitute the Nagaland Women Commission and they have taken other steps to promote women. The women reservation issue is complicated and it is a real test for the state government. The women reservation issue is inevitable, if not today, tomorrow the women reservation bill will be implemented in Nagaland. When the whole world is talking about equality, how can Naga Goan Boras and the many male chauvinist Municipal Councilors obstruct progression. The women reservation is a step for development, which cannot be stopped. At the moment it is being delayed in Nagaland, but sooner or later it will become a reality. So instead of just watching, the State government in Nagaland should just go ahead and implement it.
Some of those who voted NO had this to say:
• No, not at all. The government in Nagaland would have set a historic trend if it implemented the reservation of women, which by the way has been approved by parliament and legalized by the Supreme Court. By unfortunately the Nagaland government has shown no political courage or the moral principles to implement this much needed law in Nagaland.
• Reservation bill was pass without proper discussion with civil society.
• Naga society is patriarchal in nature.
• The government is sleeping over it. It needs to be much more active on this issue. Rio and other broad minded leaders in NPF must not let the narrow minded NPF members bog them down. Rio will be remembered in history if he goes ahead and implements it. He must now show the leader that he claims to be.
• No, the state government is not serious at all about the women reservation issue. They are really afraid of women power.
• No. The government has not taken one step in trying to implement the reservation bill. They have no courage to introduce it. They are afraid of their own shadows and are being cowed down by the patriarchal tribal system.
• No, they are only interested in protecting and preserving their power.
• This rio gvt s afraid of real isue.
• Not by a long short. I really dont think the government cares at all. They have passed on the buck saying that the public dont want the reservation. This is not true because if we go by majority rule, the government should know that the women population is more than men and also the women are doing much better than men in society.
• Majority MLAs are not women, men wants to enjoy
• 33% unlikely now. Its not so much men against women as men unwilling to sacrifice their position. No politician (men and women) will willingly give up their power. That’s why they are politicians in the first place.
• Based on Naga customary law
• No, Since it is a state which has been ruled by male dominance for several decades, it will be a very unusual transition. Moreover the implementation will change the administrative situation from bad to worse because a state like Nagaland does not have sufficient women who are bold enough to take up decisions. Their inclusion will not change the scenario of the present situation
Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say:
• Personally I am not in support for reservation of any kind. I oppose reservation for Scheduled Tribes as well, because rather than treating us as equals with respect, the reservation policy has a way of undermining us. So reservation is out of question for me. But for every issue one must weigh the ground realities. In Nagaland there is not even one women legislature, for goodness sake, not even one councilor. This is a utter disgrace. Women today make up more than half the population in Nagaland and there is not even one legislature to represent their voice. This is very undemocratic. How can Nagas claim to be democratic when there is not a single woman legislature? This is a problem that the state government cannot solve because they all consist of old men who want nothing more than to increase their power and accumulate their wealth. A social revolution is required.
• If Naga people trying to catching up with the other parts of the world. I think we should seriously look into the reservation for women..I think women too have their own capabilities and principles. Thailand woman prime minister is also one of the good indication that brown race women can also do it.
• The Women Reservation Bill should not be politicized. Its a landmark legislation. Women have been marginalized from political power for centuries now, and this Bill is a genuine attempt to wrest power from a male dominated society. The reservation bill is only 33%, which is still less that equal so I dont see any reason why the men should question or obstruct it. Nagas claim to be a democratic society, if this is the case, than the women reservation bill should be welcomed and should be implemented. In fact, Nagaland should set a trend by increasing the reservation bill to 50% so that it is really equal opportunity. But it seems like the Naga men do not want to share power with women and are denying them their rights. Its a shame that there is not even one elected woman representative either in the state assembly or in the municipal council. This shows that Nagas are not so democratic after all.
• The Naga womenfolk in the current scenario of 51:49 sex ratio of the state population are by and large well educated and enterprising who can push themselves harder in the face of any challenges as they confidently not only compete with their male counterpart through open, stiff and fair competition but also doing much better than the latter on many sphere of life while being aware of their rights and duties on equal terms with the opposite sex on all aspects. Taking all these contextual statements into account, they are in no way playing second fiddle to men as some ill-conceived notion may still have thought to be so due to outmoded parochial mindset. Thus, I see no great reason why the Naga women are making hue and cry over this 33% women reservation as it may be a means to an end but not the end in itself. Last but not the least, one out to take note of how the government handling this very issue with kid gloves so far. As of now, it is unwise for the govt to bulldoze the Act into law.
