Naga Mothers’ Association condemns Governor Ravi for ignoring womens' role in Peace Talks

KOHIMA: The Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) has condemned Nagaland Governor R N Ravi for his controversial Statehood Day speech and claimed that it purportedly ignored Naga women as equal stakeholders in the Naga political process.

In its statement, the Naga Mothers’ Association also asserted that the Naga flag was not a flag of the Naga political groups, but it was a flag revered “in remembrance of our struggle, a living symbol of our political belief and our Naga identity.”

Expressing “deep displeasure” over Ravi's speech, the NMA stated that “he is confused on his delicate role of peacemaker and Interlocutor of the longest Naga freedom struggle in the North east region.”

The body in a statement urged the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to ensure that there were “measured words of peace and respect” for the Naga people including Naga women from the Governor's Office, Raj Bhavan.

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It further stated that it has never seen “such intolerance and arrogance from Indian leaders, as reflected in this instant case.”

Pointing to the Governor’s speech when he said that the “traditional village institutions and tribal bodies are the primary stakeholders in the Naga political issue,” the NMA said this “shows his complete ignorance, in not realizing, that Naga women are equal stakeholders, in the Naga political process.”

The NMA said that women from the state entered the deep jungles and areas untrodden by many traditional village institutions and few tribe leaders, searching for the armed cadres for peace.

The NMA condemns Ravi cognizance of Naga women’s expressed wishes for peace and an early settlement inclusive of all NPGs “for the future of our children” in all Naga areas.

The NMA reiterated that “peace is not sustained and peace processes break down” when women’s voices were not counted and went unheard by negotiators.

it further claimed that Governor Ravi’s message had shown “disrespect to the primary stakeholders who were also “Naga women, the other half of the Naga population in all Naga areas.”

NMA said it was expected that such an official address from the head of the state, who carried the responsibility of being the Interlocutor, “should not have been accompanied by dire warnings of wrath or threats, to the Nagas, especially Naga women."

Terming the Governor's speech as "patronizing", the NMA added that it has proved that there was “great disrespect to our history and the thousands who have marched and died under our Naga flag.”

NMA said with its slogan of “Shed No More Blood”, it has worked for years to bring peace and create better understanding through dialogues.

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