Source: Nagaland Post
After, Naga Hoho expressed its displeasure over cabinet’s decision to go ahead with women reservation, “without consulting civil societies as one of the major stakeholders”, Ao Senden, apex body of the Ao community, on Wednesday came out openly against the state cabinet’s decision to implement 33% reservation for women in Urban Local bodies/Town Councils election.
Ao Senden president Imolemba Jamir and general secretary S. Panger Ao said they were surprised over the state government’s hustle to implement the said act when even the Parliament was yet to pass the act. “It is also totally in contrary to the Indian constitution Article 371 (A),” the Senden stated.
While asserting that it was totally against the Ao custom, the Senden reminded that in the community (Aos) there is no difference of status between male and female. “It is very disheartening to see our Ao women folks drawn to sink down to second class status by the state government,” the Senden lamented.
The Senden said ever since the Municipal Act was introduced, the content of land and house tax was opposed and never acceptable to the Aos under the aegis of Ao Senden. Later, under the Municipal Act, the Senden said addition of the so called 33% women reservation in ULBs/Town Councils was totally opposed and “forbidden to be implemented in the Ao land”.
Making its stand clear, the Ao Senden said: “We had totally opposed since the beginning and will never accept the above stated acts to be implemented in the near future too in our Ao land until the said clause is deleted and our demand is fulfilled.”
