Nagaland Government Appeals to Supreme Court over Women’s Quota in Civic Bodies

The Nagaland government has approached the Supreme Court regarding the implementation of a 33% reservation for women in civic bodies. The government has claimed that the implementation of this reservation would create an “anomalous situation” due to the unique customary laws and practices of the Nagaland tribes.

The government’s appeal comes after the Nagaland State Election Commission issued a notification stating that the 33% reservation for women in civic bodies would be mandatory in the upcoming local body elections. However, the state government argues that this reservation would violate the constitutional protection of customary laws and practices of the Nagaland tribes.

The Nagaland government claims that the reservation would disrupt the traditional power-sharing arrangements within the tribes and would create a “conflict of interest” in the democratic process. However, this argument has been met with criticism from women’s rights activists and political leaders who see the reservation as a step toward gender equality and empowerment.

The issue of women’s political representation is not unique to Nagaland, and similar debates have arisen in other states of India. While the constitutional provision for 33% reservation for women in local body elections was introduced in 1992, the implementation of this reservation has been slow and often met with resistance.

–Re-reported from the story originally published in  Hindustan Times