Delegates attending the 19th General Conference of Watsu Mungdang. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Mokokchung | April 26
No society can be progressive unless the women are given equal status along with men and their status uplifted to that of a respectable position, said senior advocate of Guwahati High Court, Kohima Bench, CT Jamir on the second day of the 19th General Conference of the Watsu Mungdang (apex women organization of the Ao women) here today at Town Hall.
The senior advocate who was the main speaker at the morning session, while addressing the more than one thousand Watsu delegates, said that a man’s life begin at a woman’s hand (from the womb to birth) and dies at a woman’s hand (since it is the wife or the daughter who takes care of the man in his old age). He therefore asserted that in order to ensure a progressive society, both men and women should advance equally otherwise that society cannot be called a progressive one.
Dwelling on his topic ‘Women and Customary Law’, the senior lawyer CT Jamir said that culture, the world over, evolves and changes with the change of time. In this regard, he pointed out that once upon a time, the Nagas were head-hunters who worshipped stones and natural forces; however, such practices have stopped and now the present Naga society has adopted what is good and dispelled what is bad from their cultural practices. In this connection he said that womenfolk like Watsu Mungdang should work for the uplift of the individual and the society so that the Naga society can be at par with other societies in the world. He further expressed deep hope that one day the Naga women would be in the decision making bodies in the days to come.
The Director of Horticulture Department, Watienla Jamir while exhorting the gathered delegates, expressed deep satisfaction at the role of women in restricting the flow of alcohol especially during the just concluded assembly election 2013 where women took the forefront. However, she said that the women should go ahead now and propagate the notion of ‘one man one vote’ during elections. In this regard, the senior bureaucrat challenged the women to educate their children and husband about the ‘one man one vote’, then it would become a reality.
Saying that being a women she faces a lot of discrimination, Watienla however, said that she took the discriminations as a challenge and has overcome them all. In this regard, the senior bureaucrat congratulated the incumbent Watsu Mundang for overcoming a lot of challenges and reaching thus far working for the welfare of the society.
The president of the Ao Senden, Dr Sangyu Yanden, who also exhorted the gathering, dwelled on the main theme of the conference. He said that peace and prosperity goes hand in hand. He said that when there is prosperity, there is peace; when there is peace, prosperity has to be there. He therefore expressed deep hope in the womenfolk who have excelled in different fields to work wholeheartedly for peace and prosperity in the society. He further avowed that the Ao Senden will always stand by the Watsu Mungdang to bring about peace and that it will stand till the end for any initiative to bring about peace.
Meanwhile, the Dobashis Union, Mokokchung presentd a traditional song while the Conference Choir presented a special song.
