In a landmark move, the district unit of a Naga tribal clan elected a female member as its president on January 29.
The traditional Naga society is largely patriarchal and a traditional civil society in Nagaland headed by a woman is highly exceptional. Hence, the ‘Metha Thinuo Krotho, Dimapur’, a traditional body of the Metha clan in the commercial district of the state, electing its first female president is sending out a strong message on the cultural thought process in a male-dominated society.
The newly elected head of the clan unit, Khrienuo Metha, in her own right, is no stranger to leadership – she is a retired bureaucrat who headed various departments in Nagaland in the past. 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. But if we are to progress, it is stories like these that need to challenge and change our thought process and archival attitudes,” said fellow clansman Abu Metha, who is also the advisor to Nagaland chief minister.
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He feels that people must accept the fact that change is universal. “While preserving the positive aspects of our rich culture and heritage is crucial, we must also take progressive steps to do away with the negative aspects of the tradition that are perhaps irrelevant to present realities. We must embrace positive change,” he added.
Dr Rosemary Dzüvichü, advisor of Naga Mothers Association and head of women studies in Nagaland University, also 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,” she stated.
When contacted, Khrienuo said she was grateful to her clansmen who took such a magnanimous and broadminded decision to hand over the position to a woman. She candidly admitted that she is still in the process of grasping the importance of her new position.
Besides the traditional aspect, this development also reminds one of the stark realities – Nagaland is yet to elect a woman representative in its 56-years-old Legislative Assembly. 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.
The state had also witnessed a dark phase in 2017 when a strong opposition against reservation of 33 per cent seats in urban local bodies took a violent turn, leaving the state capital Kohima burning for days. Two people were killed then while several were injured, shops and office buildings were gutted by the protesters.