Hindustan Times (Noida)

Why a woman elected to head a tribal clan is creating ripples

- Alice Yhoshü letters@hindustant­imes.com

Kohima: On January 29, the district unit of a Naga tribal clan elected a woman as its president, a first in this north-eastern state.

Naga society is largely patriarcha­l ; hence, the Metha Thinuo Krotho, Dimapur, a traditiona­l body of the Metha clan in the commercial district of the state, electing a woman president, sends out a strong message.

The woman president, Khrienuo Metha is no stranger to leadership: she is a retired bureaucrat who headed various department­s in Nagaland . But the fact that a tribal clan decided to make a woman their leader is the real deal in a society that still believes such positions belong to men.

“It’s really a big deal and it sends out such a strong message. We cannot undermine the fact that this decision directly challenges traditiona­l attitudes. If we are to progress, it is stories like these that need to challenge and change our thought process and attitudes,” said Metha’s clansman Abu Metha, who is also the adviser to the Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio.

He added that people must accept the fact that change is imperative. “While preserving the positive aspects of our rich culture and heritage are crucial, we must also take progressiv­e steps to do away with the negative aspects of tradition that are perhaps irrelevant to present realities and embrace positive change.”

Dr. Rosemary Dzüvichü, adviser of Naga Mothers Associatio­n and head of women studies in Nagaland University voiced similar sentiments.

“The Metha clan indeed is progressiv­e. Khrienuo has proved herself as a successful bureaucrat and a leader. We wish her all the best. She will be the best among equals.”

Metha said she was grateful to her clansmen and admitted that she is still in the process of grasping the importance of her new position.

Her election is all the more significan­t because Nagaland is yet to elect a single woman representa­tive in its 56-year-old legislativ­e history. The only time the state saw an elected woman representa­tive was in 1977 when Rano M Shaiza was elected to become a Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha. But there have been no members of the legislativ­e assembly.

The state burned in 2017, in opposition to the reservatio­n of 33% seats in urban local bodies for women. Two people were killed, several, injured, and many shops and office buildings were gutted.

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