Credit:Dolly Kikon and Inotoli Zhimomi
Nagaland, in North-East India, is the only state where there has been sustained opposition to the 33 per cent reservation for women to participate in public office, a policy which has been implemented across India. An urban local bodies election was scheduled to take place on February 1 and would have been the first to implement the reservation. However it was met with violent protests that shut down educational institutions, public offices and shops across the state. The election has been indefinitely postponed, but due to the struggles of Naga women the issue has been kept in the limelight.
Since 2006, when the first Amendment of the Nagaland Municipal Act was enacted, tribal bodies dominated by men have consistently opposed the affirmative action policy passed by the government of India. After these initial protests, the momentum for the opposition to 33% did not subside. Opposition grew over the years as tribal bodies and cultural associations threatened people with dire consequences if they came out to support the affirmative action.
