Naga Mothers' Association

Last updated

The Naga Mothers' Association (NMA) is a civil society organisation formed by women in Nagaland. [1] The organisation has consistently tried to address problems of conflict, peace building and substance abuse by creating a platform for dialogue that brings together disparate voices. [1] Ever since its formation, through the 80s and 90s, NMA have consistently voiced their opinion against fratricidal killings, violence between different Naga outfits such as NSCN (I-M) and NSCN (K), and the Indian security forces. [2]

Contents

History

The Naga Mothers' Association, NMA was established in 1984 in Kohima, against the backdrop of the Ethnic Conflict in Nagaland Conflict, rampant alcoholism, and drug problems. For women in Nagaland, the NMA became an umbrella organisation, which brought together the women's wings of different Naga ethnic groups like, the Angamis, the Aos, etc. Neidonuo Angami was one of the founding members of NMA. Popularly known as the 'mother of peace', she served as its general secretary from 1984 to 1994. Drug addiction was a rampant problem in Nagaland during the 1980s. This brought together women from different works of life to fight this menace. In the 1990s, the NMA also played a pioneering role in tackling HIV and AIDS. "In the beginning, the biggest issue affecting homes was drug addiction," according to Abei-u Meru, a founder and former NMA president. "The mothers came together because it was hurting every home.", adds Meru. [3]

Operations

The constitution of NMA allows every adult Naga woman to be automatically made a member on payment of a token annual membership fee of one Rupee. Different Naga ethnic groups nominate members from within to be leaders of NMA. [4] Along with spreading information, NMA started a rehabilitation centre. The NMA organises workshops and training programmes for women across the state on a range of relevant issues. They also work towards economic empowerment of Naga women [5] They proactively advocate against the recruitment of children by underground military outfits. [2] The NMA successfully mediated talks between the Nagaland government and the Naga Students' Federation over age limit for jobs. [6] In October 1994, the NMA formed a peace team to arrest the situation of rising violence and political instability in the state.

Against Drugs and Alcoholism

Since the early 80s, drug-addiction was a rampant problem in the North-East which affected the states' young people adversely. One of the main reasons behind this was the area's proximity to the Golden Triangle from where drugs were transported. Economic and social problems and a lax government machinery also exacerbated the problem. [7] The Naga Mother's Association runs a detoxification and counselling centre at Kohima in collaboration with the Kripa Foundation. [7] As observed in a study conducted by Patra and Manna (2008), 'They tried to make the women aware of the danger of these social evils and motivate them to establish a good Naga society'.

On Peace and Conflict

The NMA has played an important role in attempting to bring different rebel outfits to peace talks. [8] In 1994, the NMA started a peace building effort through its, 'Shed No More Blood' campaign and it remains the guiding force of the peace efforts undertaken by them. The campaign is based on the motto of human integrity and considers the value of each life as sacred. As part of the campaign, the NMA wrapped all unclaimed bodies in traditional shawls, whether they belonged to the 'Nagas' or the Indian security forces. [9] Former Home Secretary, GK Pillai who was instrumental to the Indo-Naga peace pact of 1997, recalls the power of this slogan as one being evocative, coming as it did from the mothers who had felt the pain of child bearing and child rearing and then lost their children to the armed conflict. He believes that the movement played a key role in catalysing the peace process. [10]

2010 Mao Gate Incident

In 2010, two young Nagas were shot dead by the Manipur commandos during clashes that arose during the visit of NSCN (I-M) leader, Thuingaleng Muivah to the Ukhrul district of Manipur. The Naga Mothers' Association members made the effort to recover the unclaimed dead bodies and hand them over to their families. [3]

For Ethnic Unity

The NMA believes in a space of dialogue and consultation on contentious issues like ethnic unity. During a conflict that arose concerning a local Rongmei community, the NMA urged ethnic leaders and the Naga village council (Naga Hoho) for "unity against divisive forces from within and without, and work together in peace and greater understanding for the future of the Nagas". As mentioned in the study by conducted by Patra and Manna (2008), 'The role of women as arbitrators is quite recognised and accepted. They assert their role so as to prevent the conflicting Nagas from self destruction'. [11]

For Women's Reservation

The NMA fights for more representation of women in politics and decision making in the public sphere. [12] Currently the NMA is fighting a case in India's Supreme Court pushing for a 33% reservation for women in local polls. [13] [12] The organisation believes that such reservation is not in conflict with customary law. [4]

Against HIV and AIDS

The NMA led the destigmatisation movement against HIV-AIDS patients in 1991. As a part of the movement, members of the NMA held hands with HIV-positive inmates from the Manipur jail. [14]

Awards and recognition

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insurgency in Northeast India</span> Internal security issues of India

The Insurgency in Northeast India involves multiple separatist militant groups operating in some of India's northeastern states, which are connected to the rest of India by the Siliguri Corridor, a strip of land as narrow as 14.29 miles (23.00 km) wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naga people</span> Ethnic group of South Asia

Nagas are various ethnic groups native to northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar. The groups have similar cultures and traditions, and form the majority of population in the Indian state of Nagaland and Naga Self-Administered Zone of Myanmar (Burma); with significant populations in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India; Sagaing Region and Kachin State in Myanmar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnic conflict in Nagaland</span> Ongoing conflict in northeast India

The insurgency in Nagaland, in northeastern India, is an ongoing conflict fought between the ethnic Nagas and the governments of India. Nagaland inhabited by the Nagas is located at the tri-junction border of India on the West and South, north and Myanmar on the East.

The Kuki-Chin–Naga languages are a geographic clustering of languages of the Sino-Tibetan family in James Matisoff's classification used by Ethnologue, which groups it under the non-monophyletic "Tibeto-Burman". Their genealogical relationship both to each other and to the rest of Sino-Tibetan is unresolved, but Matisoff lumps them together as a convenience pending further research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Socialist Council of Nagaland</span> Naga separatist group of Northeast India

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) is a Naga militant and separatist group operating mainly in northeastern part of India, with minor activities in northwest Myanmar (Burma). The main aim of the organisation is allegedly to establish a sovereign Naga state, "Nagalim", which would consist of all the areas inhabited by Naga tribes in Northeast India and northwest Myanmar.China and Pakistan provide financial support and weaponry to the NSCN. Drug trafficking and extortion are believed to be other major sources of income for the NSCN.

Secession in India typically refers to state secession, which is the withdrawal of one or more states from the Republic of India. Whereas, some have wanted a separate state, union territory or an autonomous administrative division within India. Many separatist movements exist with thousands of members, however, some have low local support and high voter participation in democratic elections. However, at the same time, demanding separate statehood within under the administration of Indian union from an existing state can lead to criminal charges under secession law in India. India is described as a ‘Union of States’ in Article 1 of the Indian constitution I.e indestructible nation of destructible states where a state or Union territory of India can't secede from India by any means.

The Shillong Accord of 1975 was an agreement signed between the Government of India, also referred to as the Federal government, or Union government, or Central government of India, and Nagaland's underground government, also referred to as the Naga Federal government, or Naga guerillas, or Naga rebels, to accept the supremacy of Constitution of India without condition, surrender their arms and renounce their demand for the secession of Nagaland from India.

Neidonuo Angami is an Indian social worker and one of the founders of the Naga Mothers' Association, a non governmental organization working for remedying the social problems in Nagaland, India. She is reported to have been selected as one of the 1000 women shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2005. She was honored by the Government of India, in 2000, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insurgency in Manipur</span> Ongoing armed conflict between India and multiple separatist rebel groups

The Insurgency in Manipur is an ongoing armed conflict between India and a number of separatist rebel groups, taking place in the state of Manipur. The Insurgency in Manipur is part of the wider Insurgency in Northeast India; it combines elements of a national liberation war as well as an ethnic conflict.

The Naga Peace Accord is a peace treaty, signed, on 3 August 2015, between the Government of India, and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), to end the insurgency in the state of Nagaland in Northeast India. The Government’s interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks, R. N. Ravi signed it on behalf of the Government of India, whereas Lt. Isak Chishi Swu, Chairman and Thuingaleng Muivah, General Secretary signed on behalf of the NSCN, in presence of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Isak Chishi Swu was the chairman of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN). He along with Thuingaleng Muivah and S. S. Khaplang were instrumental in the creation of NSCN on 31 January 1980 after opposing the 'Shillong Accord' signed by the then Naga National Council (NNC) with the Indian government. He was unable to attend the historic Naga Framework Agreement signed on 4 August 2015 due to health conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. S. Khaplang</span>

Shangwang Shangyung Khaplang was a Burmese leader of Naga ethnicity. He was the leader of the NSCN-K, an insurgent group that operates to establish a Greater Nagaland, a sovereign state bringing all Naga-inhabited areas of Myanmar and India under one administrative setup.

This is a timeline of the Insurgency in Northeast India, an ongoing armed conflict between the separatist rebels and the Indian government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hill tribes of Northeast India</span> Indian ethnic group

The hill tribes of Northeast India are hill people, mostly classified as Scheduled Tribes (STs), who live in the Northeast India region. This region has the largest proportion of scheduled tribes in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Nagas</span>

The history of the Nagas dates back centuries, but first appear in written records of Ahom kingdom during the medieval period of Indian history. Aside from developing contacts with the Ahom kingdom, which was established in 1228 in Assam, the Nagas generally lived an isolated existence from the outside world. This changed in the 19th century, when the Burmese Empire launched several invasions of Assam between 1817 and 1826, which led the Nagas to briefly fall under Burmese rule. However, the neighboring British Empire annexed Assam in 1828 following the 1826 Treaty of Yandabo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chalie Kevichüsa</span> Naga journalist

Thechazelhu Kevichüsa Meru, commonly known as Chalie Kevichüsa, was an Indian journalist from Nagaland who was also involved in politics. He was the executive editor and publisher of Ura Mail from June 1976 until his assassination in September 1992.

Perietsü Kevichüsa Meru, commonly known as Tubu Kevichüsa was the General Secretary of Naga National Council who served until his assassination in June 1996 by armed men from the NSCN-IM. His brother Chalie Kevichüsa was also assassinated by the NSCN-IM in September 1992.

This is a timeline of the history of the Nagas.

The Forum for Naga Reconciliation was formed in 2008 after the Naga Peace Convention organised by the Naga Shisha Hoho in Dimapur. At the start, it had 14 members. Wati Aier is the founding-convenor for the association. It has emerged as a major force in the Indo-Naga peace process outside the negotiation room between the Indian state and Naga nationalist groups.

References

  1. 1 2 Hangal, Ninglun (28 August 2012). "Rough road to empowerment". The Hindu.
  2. 1 2 "Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, 'Equality as Tradition' and Women's Reservation in Nagaland". Economic and Political Weekly. 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 52 (23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 45): 7, 7, 7, 7, 7–8, 8, 8, 8, 8.
  3. 1 2 3 "TOI Social Impact Awards: Lifetime contribution — Naga Mothers Association – Times of India". The Times of India.
  4. 1 2 "Meet The Women Who Just Forced a Historic Change in Nagaland's Laws". HuffPost India. 28 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "March of the Naga women". The Dawnlit Post – Rise with the Post.
  6. ↑ "Women, Conflict and Governance in Nagaland" (PDF). www.mcrg.ac.in. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Naga Mother's Association a major weapon against drug menace". India Today.
  8. ↑ "Nagaland: Women's groups backing quota stir sever ties with parent body". Hindustan Times. 25 February 2017.
  9. ↑ NorthEast Relations – A Place of Relations. Cambridge University Press.
  10. ↑ "Women and Peacebuilding" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, Making a Show: The Black Money Bill, 'Equality as Tradition' and Women's Reservation in Nagaland". Economic and Political Weekly. 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 52 (23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 45): 7, 7, 7, 7, 7–8, 8, 8, 8, 8.
  12. 1 2 "Unpacking reservation: The Naga gender equity question". www.easternmirrornagaland.com.
  13. ↑ "Who's afraid of the Naga Mothers?". Hindustan Times. 10 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "Nagaland Mothers' Association Scripts History: Drives Home Point Of Equality". sheroes.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.